


Familiarity

by Likhoradka



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 17:33:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 56,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likhoradka/pseuds/Likhoradka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean finds out he's a witch. Castiel is his familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this before we found out Dean is allergic to cats, so that is why he is not allergic.
> 
> Done for a prompt, and it got way out of control.

Dean pulled his coat tighter as a shiver ran down his spine. The feeling was back. As if he wasn’t quite alone. He shook his head. Of course he wasn’t alone. He was on a ‘small research trip’ with his brother. But, it felt like there was one more person.

He took a quick glance around the old room, just to be sure. Nothing. No one.

How did Sam manage to talk him into this? Sam was an archaeologist, but not the sort that specialized in old civilizations. No, Sam had to be into the occult. His baby brother actually believed in the nonsense that was the supernatural and sought out locations with a rich history pertaining to the occult. Sites of supposed devil worship, monuments to gods, monsters, and demons, and, of course, old Victorian houses that were once inhabited by wicked witches.

He wanted to say he was thoroughly creeped out, but he felt comfortable. Safe. He shouldn’t be feeling this way about a creepy, old house. With every step he took, an ominous creak resounded. Cobwebs were everywhere. And he was certain there was a scraggly-looking cat wandering silently about the house.

He mentioned the cat to Sam, and Sam immediately burst into a happy tirade about how Dean was so lucky to have seen the witch’s familiar. Dean insisted it was just a mangy old cat, but nothing he said could sway Sam’s belief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean caught sight of the cat. He quickly turned to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him. In the fading light of the day, he couldn’t tell if the cat was black or dark shade of brown. Dean stared at the cat. If he could catch it, he could bring it to Sam. Prove that it was just a cat. Just some stray that was living in the old house.

Dean stepped forward, and the cat stretched before turning and leaving.

‘Wait! Here, kitty-kitty,’ Dean called softly. He knelt down and offered his hand to the cat. He smiled as the cat looked at him in vague interest. ‘Yeah, c’mon. I won’t hurt ya’. Might even have some nice tuna or something out in the car.’

The cat tilted its head as it regarded the human. It turned and trotted out the room and down the hall.

‘H-hey!’ Dean followed the cat into the hall. He looked around, but couldn’t find any trace of it. He scratched his head. All the other doors were closed. Where could it have got to? Was there a hole in the wall? A quick inspection proved there was no hole or crevice that a cat could fit through.

He crossed his arms and glared at the empty hall. He refused to believe Sam was right. He did _not_ just see a familiar or ghost cat or whatever it was supposed to be.

The feeling of someone else being right next to him was stronger than ever. He felt safe. It was annoying. His heart beat faster as he surreptitiously looked around. Just in case he wasn’t alone, he didn’t want to let the intruder know that he knew. He casually placed his hands behind his back, ready to whip out his gun. If Sam was behind him, then Sam would just tease him about being paranoid. It had happened on more than one occasion. He’d get jumpy and point his gun at any little sound.

He spun and pointed the handgun at nothing. He edged back into the room he had originally come from. It was empty. He let his arms fall to his sides. Now what?

‘Better find Sammy,’ he muttered to himself as the comforting feeling faded.

He heard a soft click come from the hallway. He turned and cautiously made his way to the hall. He looked around and noticed a crack in the wall. One of the panels appeared to have popped loose. Dean nudged it open further, and it swung out soundlessly. The panel opened to reveal a small passageway. He could make out a soft flickering light at the end of the passage.

So there _was_ someone there. Dean wasn’t just paranoid, after all. Leading with his gun, Dean entered the small passage. He gasped as the panel shut behind him. He turned and pushed at it. It remained shut.

A sharp meow echoed behind him, and Dean looked to the flickering light. So _that’s_ where the damn cat got to. He quietly made his way down the passage, finding a small room at the end.

Dean stared in awe. Old books lined every wall. Jars with faded labels sat on every available surface not infested with books. A quick glance told him no one was in the room. And it looked like no one had been in there for quite some time.

He sighed as he safetied his gun and tucked it into the back of his jeans. He frowned when a thought hit him. Where was the light coming from? There were no candles, no light bulbs. Just a low glow. Looking around in confusion, he found the source.

A book lay open on an old table. Dean approached the book, not quite believing his eyes. The pages were _glowing_. He reached out to touch it and quickly jumped back as the cat landed on top of the book.

‘Shit! Fuck! Y-you fucking evil monster!’ Dean shouted.

The cat stared at Dean. It got off the book and sat just behind it. It looked from Dean to the book and began purring.

Dean looked around. He had to be going crazy. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the cat wanted him to read the book. He shook his head and shrugged. ‘Sure. Why the fuck not?’

He walked up to the book and stared at it. As far as he could tell, it was written in Latin. He startled as the cat meowed loudly at him. ‘What? Am I supposed to perform a spell or something?’ He said jokingly as he reached out to pet the cat.

The cat leaned into Dean’s touch and purred loudly. It meowed again as it pulled away from Dean’s hand.

Dean rolled his eyes. Why was he doing this? He should be leaving and finding Sam. This was more Sam’s speed. Finding weird, old books that glowed and reading from them. He had to be dreaming. He had to have fallen asleep while waiting for Sam.

Since he was dreaming, what harm could come from reading from an old book? As long as no Candarian demons popped up, then he’d be okay. And if they did, he’d kill his brother, chop off his hand, and shove a chainsaw on his wrist. Good plan.

He looked at the book again and ran his fingers across the words as he recited them. He frowned when nothing happened. ‘Right… Well, this dreams sucks,’ he said to the cat. He looked up to find the cat missing.

‘You’re not dreaming,’ a deep voice said behind him.

Dean spun around and pointed his gun at the intruder. Before him stood a man. He looked like he had just walked out of one of the old paintings hanging around the house. He wore a dark frock coat and trousers, and his tie was undone. Dark hair. Blue eyes. The same color as the cat’s. ‘Who the fuck are you?!’

‘My name is Castiel.’

Dean laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. ‘What the fuck…?’ He was going crazy.

‘You’re not crazy, Dean. You have a very special gift,’ Castiel said.

‘Gift?’ Dean repeated.

Castiel nodded. He walked up to Dean and laid his hand on Dean’s, making him lower the gun. ‘You are a witch, and I am now your familiar.’

Dean blinked. ‘Yep. Still dreaming,’ he said.

‘You’re not—‘

‘Well, I’m gonna find Sam,’ Dean said as he headed back into the passage.

‘But the book!’ Castiel looked from Dean’s disappearing figure to the book on the table. He huffed in irritation and grabbed the book. He found Dean struggling with the secret panel. ‘It obeys your command,’ he said. ‘Tell it to open.’

Dean threw a glare over his shoulder. ‘Fine. Open says me.’

The panel popped open.

Dean stepped out into the hall. ‘Sammy!’ he shouted.

‘Dean—‘

Dean headed off to where he thought Sam should be. ‘If you’re supposed to be my familiar, then shouldn’t you be calling me “master” or something?’ he asked conversationally.

Castiel hugged the book tightly to his chest. ‘That is not the relationship between witch and familiar,’ he replied. ‘We draw from each other’s power. It’s more like marriage than master and servant.’

Dean stopped in his tracks, and Castiel ran into his back. ‘We’re _married_?’ He looked at Castiel from head to toe. For a dream that decided to take a turn toward a whole new level of weird, he could certainly do worse. ‘So, my subconscious wants me to settle down with a guy,’ he said, raising a brow.

‘I’m neither male nor female.’

‘Uh-huh… Well, once I blow off some steam with Sam, you ‘n’ me can make this dream a little more interesting,’ Dean said as he began walking again. ‘If you change into a chick halfway through, I won’t complain.’

Castiel blushed. ‘N-no… I only have one human form. This…this is the vessel that was offered up when I was summoned,’ Castiel explained. ‘Though some witches and familiars do…do that, I uh…don’t think we’re quite at that stage…just yet.’

Dean rounded a corner and found Sam packing up his bag. ‘Sammy!’

Sam looked up, smiling at Dean. His smile faltered when he laid eyes on Castiel. ‘Um…Dean, who’s that?’

‘Cas,’ Dean said dismissively.

‘Castiel,’ the familiar corrected. ‘I’m his familiar. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sam.’

Sam stared at Castiel then at Dean. ‘W-what…?’

Dean placed his hands on Sam’s shoulders. ‘I’ll never get a chance to say this when I’m awake,’ he said, ‘but, Sammy… Your profession sucks. Between creepy mausoleums and dumping grounds for human sacrifice, I think I’ve had it. But I’m still gonna follow you around and keep an eye on you. Because I’m a glutton for punishment.’

Sam stared at Dean. He reached up and pinched Dean. Hard.

‘Ow! What’d ya’ do _that_ for?!’

‘Dean,’ Sam hissed, ‘you’re _not_ dreaming!’

Dean stared at Sam in shock. He looked at Castiel, who smiled helpfully. ‘But…’ Everything went dark.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean opened his eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of the motel he and Sam were staying at. It was all a dream. A really fucked up dream.

‘Dean! Are you all right?’ Sam asked.

Dean sat up, scratching his head. ‘Yeah… I had this weird dream…’ He trailed off as he looked around the room and his gaze fell upon a certain dark haired man.

Castiel gave Dean a small smile. ‘Good morning, Dean.’

Dean scrambled out of the bed. He became tangled in the sheets and fell to the floor. He pulled himself up and pointed accusingly at Castiel. ‘Y-you! You’re _real_?!’

Castiel nodded. ‘Of course I’m real,’ he replied in an offended tone. He was still protectively clutching the old book. ‘But that doesn’t matter, we need to ta—‘

‘You’re real.’

‘Yes. De—‘

Dean shook his head. ‘No. I just got Punk’d, right?’

Castiel frowned at the reference. He looked to Sam for help.

‘No, Dean. This is really happening,’ Sam said. ‘Castiel explained, well, _enough_ to me.’

Dean recognized the frustrated look on Sam’s face. It was the same look he got when he had trouble translating an old text. His so-called familiar was holding out on Sam. He looked to Castiel. ‘Okay… Let’s say I _do_ believe all this,’ he said, waving his hand. ‘Why me?’

Castiel straightened and smiled at Dean. ‘You’re special. It’s in your blood.’

Dean sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Castiel. ‘Uh-huh… What about Sammy? Is _he_ “special,” too?’

Castiel looked uncertainly from Dean to Sam. ‘Yes,’ he eventually replied.

‘Then why not him? Why _me_?’

Castiel bit his lip. ‘For all his enthusiasm, we are not compatible. A witch’s and familiar’s magic _must_ be compatible.’

Dean glared at Castiel. ‘Magic. _Magic_?’ He shot Sam a doubtful look. ‘I don’t have magic. I’m not magic. I’m not a…a _witch_.’

‘Actually, Dean…’ Sam rubbed the back of his neck. ‘You are kinda sensitive to the supernatural.’

‘What.’

‘I uh…’ Sam let out a nervous laugh. ‘Not all the places I dragged you to were haunted… I started testing you when I noticed how you got…jumpy at the places that were notorious for being haunted. I wanted to see if it was just the knowledge of what had happened, or if there was something else going on.’

Dean stared at Sam. ‘I’m not talking to you anymore.’

‘Dean—‘

Dean held up his hand. ‘No. Not talking.’ He looked to Castiel. ‘Are you a cat?’

Castiel’s head hung slightly. ‘She was dying from cold and hunger… I eased her way,’ he quietly replied. He looked away. ‘She was the closest thing I had to a friend after my last witch was…well…’

‘She was lynched by the townspeople,’ Sam supplied.

Castiel stared at the floor, nodding. ‘I was unable to stop them.’

Dean sighed and looked away. ‘Okay. I’m a witch. You’re my familiar. So, now what? Do I have to go to witchy school or something?’

Castiel looked back up, a smile returning to his face. ‘No. Nothing like that,’ he said. He held out the book to Dean. ‘You just need this. It’s yours now.’

‘What if I don’t _wanna_ be a witch?’ Dean challenged as he crossed his arms.

Castiel lowered the book and gave Dean a confused stare. ‘You don’t have a choice in the matter. You were born a witch.’

Dean grimaced and took a deep breath. ‘Can we call it something else? Warlock? Wizard? Sorcerer? Anything besides _witch_?’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Witches are girls.’

‘Witches are men _and_ women,’ Castiel corrected.

‘The term’s changed a little over time,’ Sam said helpfully. ‘It’s more specific to women now.’

‘Oh.’

‘Well, I’m not gonna be a witch or warlock or whatever,’ Dean said as he stood.

‘But you don’t—‘

Dean strode up to Castiel jabbed his finger at him. ‘Just because I’m magic, don’t mean I have to _do_ magic. Keep your damn book.’

Castiel fidgeted and bit his lip. ‘I suppose… _that_ you have a choice in…’

Dean nodded, satisfied. ‘Good. Now that _that’s_ settled. No more talk about magic. You,’ he pointed at Castiel, ‘should go do whatever it is you guys do. Have fun with your life.’

Castiel looked up miserably at Dean. ‘I can’t.’

Dean let out a short laugh. ‘Come again?’

‘I’m your familiar. _You_ are my witch…er…warlock… Our energies are interwoven now,’ Castiel explained. ‘I _can’t_ leave. I’m bound to you until you die.’

Dean ran his hands over his face, looking anywhere but at the two other men in the room. ‘I can’t…’ He shook his head and stared at the floor. ‘I just… I can’t do this right now. This is too much.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Castiel apologized. He flinched as the door to the motel room slammed. He stared helplessly at Sam.

Sam smiled encouragingly at Castiel. ‘It’ll be okay. Let him blow off some steam. He’ll come around eventually.’

Castiel nodded. He noticed how Sam was eying the book. He hugged it tightly to his chest and glared. ‘This is not for you! Find your own!’

Sam sighed in disappointment. He perked up as a thought struck him. ‘Do you happen to know where I can _find_ a familiar that’d match me?’ he asked.

Castiel stared at the book in his arms. His brother _had_ been without a witch for quite some time now… But, could he live with seeing Sam doting on his own familiar while Dean wanted nothing to do with _him_? Could he live with himself if he denied his brother the chance of having a witch again?

‘I…I have a brother,’ he eventually said. ‘But the decision will ultimately be his.’


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made some minor edits to the previous chapter—what Cas was originally wearing and a little bit of the dialogue after they meet. The dialogue didn't sit well with me, and I figure Cas would have no clue as to current fashion.

Dean soon found himself wandering aimlessly around a nearby park. It was early morning, so aside from the occasional jogger, he had the park mostly to himself. He sat on a bench and stared at the ducks on the small lake in front of him. He sighed as he leaned back.

What was he going to do? Was he going to have to worry about controlling his so-called magic powers? What could he even do? Open a door. Big deal. And what of Castiel? If they really were stuck with him, then what? Sure, Sam had managed to get Dean onto the museum’s payroll as his ‘assistant,’ so they were set financially. But, what about sleeping arrangements? Would Castiel just turn into a cat and curl up on the floor? How did that even work? Did he eat? How human was he?

And he had hit on Castiel earlier! He clenched his eyes shut. Why did he always think with his dick first? Why did Casitel have to look so good? It would be easier for everyone if Castiel would just leave.

He opened his eyes and frowned. A young woman stood at the edge of the lake, staring at Dean. She was drenched and very pale. Dean sat up straight. ‘Hey! You okay?’ he called out. He gasped when she vanished and reappeared next to him on the bench.

‘You’re very bright,’ she said. ‘Brighter than the other day.’

Dean’s heart beat rapidly. He tried to lean away from the woman without calling attention to it. ‘O-other day?’

She nodded. ‘You and the other young man,’ she replied. ‘You tried to feed a duck, but it bit you.’

Dean remembered. ‘Are you a…ghost?’ he asked.

‘I guess,’ she said with a shrug.

Dean had always thought ghosts were supposed to be chain-rattling, vengeance-seeking monsters from beyond the grave. This was not what he had been expecting. Not that he had been expecting to be having a conversation with a ghost. What did you say to a ghost?

‘If you don’t mind my asking… What makes a ghost a ghost?’

The ghost frowned and looked away. ‘Dying? I…don’t really know,’ she admitted. ‘There are a few of us here. I was murdered by my boyfriend’s ex-fiancé, but Jerry died in his sleep under a tree.’

‘Lack of closure?’ Dean offered. Why was he talking to a ghost?

The ghost smiled and shook her head. ‘Mindy got what she deserved, and Aaron still visits me on my birthday. He’s married and has two kids. I’m so happy for him.’

‘That’s nice.’ Why was he talking to a ghost?! ‘Uh… This has been…interesting. But uh…I should get back,’ he said.

The woman sighed and turned her gaze to the lake. ‘You’re scared of me,’ she said as she hung her head. ‘It’s okay. I understand. I would be, too.’

Dean waved his hands at her. ‘I’m not scared of you,’ he insisted. He continued when he received a doubtful look for the woman. ‘Look, I’ve had a shitty day so far. I just found out I’m a fucking _witch_ , and th—‘

‘A _witch_?’ the ghost repeated. ‘I may be dead, but I know there’s no such thing as witches. Not in the fairy tale sense, and you don’t strike me as the type to be into crystals.’

‘Then how am I talking to you?’ Dean retorted.

‘You’re a medium,’ the ghost said, as if it were the most logical conclusion.

Dean bristled. If only it were that simple. But, no. He had a freaking familiar chilling out in his motel room. ‘ _You’re_ a _ghost_! How can you not believe in—Y’know what? Nevermind. Nice talkin’ to ya’, Casper.’

The ghost watched Dean get up and leave. She looked down as a duck approached her and walked through her leg. She decided she liked the other medium much better.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel sat alone in the motel room. Sam had gone out to get donuts, leaving him with instructions to not touch anything. He sighed heavily as he ran his fingers over the worn cover of the book in his lap. He desperately wished Dean was more accepting of the current situation. Of him. He looked up as the door opened and Dean entered the room.

Dean paused in the doorway as his eyes fell on Castiel. He stood tall and shut the door as he headed toward his bag. He busied himself with looking through the contents of his bag, trying to ignore Castiel’s stare.

Castiel wanted to speak to Dean. Maybe reach some sort of agreement or truce. He at least wanted to be on Dean’s good side before he broke the news of Sam’s plan to him. He didn’t think the older brother would appreciate Sam’s sudden interest in hunting down a familiar.

‘Why can I see ghosts?’ Dean asked, making Castiel jump in surprise. He looked up when he received no answer. ‘Well?’

‘You were always aware of their presence,’ Castiel replied. ‘You’re drawing power from me, so you’re tapped into their plane of existence. I imagine…with proper training, you would have been able to seen them on your own.’

Dean went back to rummaging in his bag. ‘Does that mean I was medium?’

Castiel frowned. ‘No. You are a witch.’

‘So are mediums witches?’

Castiel shook his head. ‘No. Well, some,’ he replied. ‘As I understand it, some witches are mistaken for mediums, and will be trained in the art of spirit talk. Um…’ He trailed off as Dean lost interest.

Dean closed the bag and sat on the bed. What could he do? He didn’t really want to talk to Castiel.

Castiel looked down. Dean was easier to read, more open, when he had thought he was dreaming, but now… Now, Castiel only caught bare fragments of thoughts. All of them negative. He remained silent as Dean turned on the television.

‘What is that?’ Castiel asked, then quickly regretted it. His eyes flicked quickly to Dean and caught the flash of annoyance.

‘Crime drama,’ Dean replied. He looked over at Castiel. If he was really stuck with the familiar, he definitely wanted him to be less conspicuous. ‘We should get you some new clothes.’

Castiel glanced up. ‘Is there something wrong with my attire?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, it’s fucking outdated by over a hundred years.’

Castiel sighed and looked to images displayed on the television. After about fifteen minutes, he figured he had enough to go on for current fashion standards. His clothing morphed into a dark suit and tan overcoat. ‘Is this better?’ he asked.

Dean looked over and jumped. ‘What the—?!’ He looked Castiel over, head to toe. He certainly looked more normal. He raised a brow as Castiel pulled at the tie around his neck, setting it slightly askew. ‘Yeah…that’s fine,’ he said as he directed his attention back to the television.

After a few minutes had passed, Sam returned with a box of donuts. Dean made a beeline for his brother, and Castiel remained seated, trying not to impose.

‘Oh, you changed!’ Sam commented. ‘Did you guys go shopping or something?’

‘I can change my clothing to suit my w—…my needs,’ Castiel said softly.

Sam set the box on the small table and sat on the empty chair as Dean took a few donuts back to his spot on the bed. He moved the box a little closer to Castiel. ‘Do you want one?’

Castiel shook his head, not looking up.

Sam frowned and looked at Dean for an answer.

Dean rolled his eyes, and shoved a donut in his mouth. Castiel was _not_ his problem.

Sam sighed and leaned back. ‘I have a new place lined up for next week,’ he said.

‘Oh, yeah?’

‘The Mysterious Mystery Spot.’

Dean looked over at Sam, his confusion showing. ‘Since when do you do mystery spots? I thought those were all hoaxes and tourist traps.’

‘Well, this one has a high number of unusual accidents associated with the site,’ Sam replied. He coughed as he looked away. ‘I was hoping you’d be able to do a quick read of the area…’

Dean’s confusion turned into a dirty look. He should have seen this coming. ‘And if I don’t want to?’

Sam rolled his eyes and gave an annoyed huff. ‘Then I’ll go by myself. I just thought…well… I thought if there was something there worth looking into, then you’d be able to sense it or something.’

Dean looked back at the TV. ‘Fine,’ he eventually agreed. ‘But if there’s ghosts, I’m leaving.’

 

.-.-.-.-.

Dean glanced at the rearview mirror. Castiel was still sitting quietly, staring at his lap. It was a little disconcerting. Already, they had stopped to take a couple breaks. Both Dean and his brother had offered to get Castiel something to eat and drink, but Castiel had simply shook his head and wandered off. The first time it happened, Dean called out that they would be leaving in ten minutes. He had wondered if they were going to have to wait for Castiel. Part of him secretly hoped Castiel had just left. Another part was willing to wait however long it would take for Castiel to return. As it turned out, Castiel returned promptly after ten minutes had past.

Dean pulled up to a small roadside diner and parked the car. As he and Sam got out and stretched, he caught sight of Castiel heading off. ‘Hey, Cas!’

Castiel stopped in his tracks and looked back at Dean.

‘Don’t you wanna come in? Eat something?’ Dean asked.

Castiel shook his head. ‘I don’t…need it,’ he replied. He didn’t mention how he didn’t want to make Dean any more uncomfortable than he already was.

Dean rolled his eyes as he turned toward the diner’s entrance. ‘Whatever,’ he grumbled. ‘Be back in an hour!’

Castiel watched the brothers leave and sighed to himself. In a blink of an eye, he was replaced by a small, black cat. He stretched and trotted toward the wooded area nearby. He had an hour. Maybe this time, he’d be able to catch something decent.

 

.-.-.-.-.

‘I think you should at least _try_ to be nice to Castiel,’ Sam said as he poked at his salad.

‘I _am_ bein’ nice,’ Dean shot back. From his point of view, he had been nice. He could have been yelling at Castiel the whole time. Shouting about how he wished his life hadn’t turned out like this. How he wished he’d never followed Sam into the old house. How he wished he’d never met Castiel. So, really, he was being _very_ nice.

Sam glared at Dean. ‘I mean talk to him. Who knows, you might actually _like_ him.’

Dean scoffed and looked away. ‘Fine. I’ll talk to him.’

Sam raised his brows at Dean expectantly.

‘What, _now_?’

‘Why not? Look, all I’m saying is…he’s not happy Dean. It’s painfully obvious,’ Sam pointed out. ‘He’s going out of his way to stay out of yours.’

Dean nodded in agreement. ‘All right, all right… I’ll go find him.’ He stood and headed out of the diner. He looked around, wondering just where Castiel could have got to. If he was a witch’s familiar, where would he go? He had no idea.

Well, he was magical, wasn’t he? And Castiel was _his_ familiar, right? He should be able to sense him or something. He looked around, not coming up with anything. ‘This sucks,’ he mumbled to himself as walked over to his car. He leaned against it and closed his eyes. He breathed evenly and relaxed. And then he felt it. A very slight tug in his gut. His eyes flew open. He knew where to find Castiel.

Dean carefully picked his way through the woods. He thought he was getting closer, but he wasn’t sure. He paused and looked around. He didn’t see his familiar anywhere. He was about to give up when movement caught his eye. It was the cat. Dean narrowed his eyes as he drew closer. He gasped when the cat came fully into view. ‘Cas?!’

Castiel stared up in shock. His muzzle was coated in the blood of the rabbit he had just killed, and his tail was puffed out. He crouched close to the ground and edged away from the disemboweled rabbit.

Dean stared at the rabbit. There was so much blood. Was this what Castiel was doing during their breaks? He looked from the rabbit to Castiel. In the full light of day, Dean could make out every notch in the cat’s ears, every mat in the black fur, and the painful-looking angle near the tip of the tail. He thought back to what Castiel had said about the cat. Dean wondered if the cat was the only real contact Castiel had had since the witch had been killed.

Dean cleared his throat, and Castiel cringed. ‘Uh…you, uh… You’ve got thirty minutes,’ he said before turning and heading back to the diner.

Castiel’s breath came rapidly. He could still feel Dean’s disgust. He thought he was doing Dean a favor. He wasn’t being a burden. He wasn’t relying on the others to take care of him. Wasn’t that the right thing to do?

He stared at the rabbit, his appetite long gone. He sighed and returned to his human form. At least some animal would be getting a free meal that day. He followed Dean’s path back to the diner. He waited next to the car for Sam and Dean, staring at the gravel of the parking lot. He didn’t look up as Sam and Dean approached.

‘Here,’ Dean said.

A paper sack and water bottle were shoved into Castiel’s field of vision. He took the sack and water and gave Dean a questioning stare.

Dean shrugged as he unlocked the car. ‘It’s better than rabbit,’ he said gruffly.

Castiel frowned and peeked in the bag. It was a sandwich. Why did Dean get him a sandwich? He jumped as Dean honked the horn.

‘Are you comin’, or what?’

Castiel nodded and quickly got into the back seat of the car.


	3. Chapter 3

After dropping Castiel off at the motel, Sam and Dean headed to the mystery spot. Dean stared grimly at the neon sign as he pulled into the small, dirt lot. A brightly flashing sign hung above a small ticket booth, and an equally annoying flashing arrow pointed down a narrow path into the woods.

‘Well?’ Sam nudged Dean’s arm as he looked around. ‘Do you feel anything?’

Dean rolled his eyes and shut off the engine. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling,’ he replied in frustration. ‘I don’t even wanna _be_ here!’

Sam silently left the car and lead the way to the ticket booth. The booth was empty, so he rang the little bell on the counter. A voice drifted from down the little path that led to the Mysterious Mystery Spot.

‘Yeah, okay, _great_! You figured out the phone. I’m _so_ proud of you,’ a man said in clear irritation as he rounded the corner. He ran a hand through his blond hair as he mimed the person on the other end of his cell phone. He looked up in surprise at Sam and Dean. His eyes darted between the two, and his brows furrowed. ‘Uh… Sorry, I gotta go. A couple _customers_ just showed up.’ He hung up his phone and stared expectantly at the brothers.

Sam held his hand out. ‘Hi, I’m Sam Winchester,’ he said. ‘Are you…Gabriel?’

Gabriel glanced at the proffered hand. He took it and gave a hardy shake as he grinned up at Sam. ‘That’d be me,’ he replied. ‘Well, Sam, you sure are a lot hotter in person.’

Sam blushed and coughed as he took his hand back. ‘Uh…thanks?’

‘So, you guys want the grand tour?’ Gabriel asked as he popped into the ticket booth and fished around in a filing cabinet.

‘If you wouldn’t mind.’

‘Sure…’ Gabriel pulled out a couple sheets of paper and slammed them on the counter. ‘But first, you sign.’

‘Sign what?’ Dean asked. He felt off. That was the only way to describe it. There was…something…around. And he felt alone. He refused to believe Castiel had anything to do with his loneliness.

‘Just a standard waiver,’ Gabriel replied. ‘And how are you paying? Am I gonna have to harass that museum of yours for money? I’ll give you a discount if you pay in cash.’

Sam reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed over a pair of twenties.

Gabriel brows went up in surprise. ‘I think you missed the point of a discount.’

‘Well, I was hoping that Dean and I would be able to stick around and explore when there were no people around,’ Sam said. He gave Gabriel shy smile. May as well use his good looks to get him what he wanted.

Gabriel looked from Sam to Dean, who was reading over the waiver. ‘Tonight’s not the best…wait! No, this is perfect!’ he exclaimed. ‘My brother’s in town, and it’s been a really long time since I last saw him. I’ll show you guys around and close down early.’

‘Oh. I was hoping to get a better look around,’ Sam said with a sigh.

‘See, that’s the best part. I’ll leave you the keys to gate. Just lock up when you leave.’

Dean looked up from the waiver. ‘You’re gonna trust us? Alone?’

‘What’s there to steal?’ Gabriel asked, gesturing around him. ‘I take the cash with me. And there’s not really anything else of value. Only reason I lock up is to keep the damn teens out.’

Dean nodded and went back to reading over the waiver. He frowned. ‘Maiming by broom?’

‘You’d be surprised how often that happens,’ Gabriel replied, shaking his head.

‘Right. Whatever.’ Dean signed the waivered and slid it back to Gabriel. ‘This had better be worth it,’ he grumbled to Sam.

Sam wasted no time in scribbling his signature. ‘Don’t worry. I had a very reliable source on this one.’

.-.-.-.-.

Sam sighed in relief when Gabriel left. The shorter man was very excitable and loved to recount all the mishaps and lawsuits his little tourist trap had survived. And he was very touchy-feely. Sam found it doubtful that so much lint could be found on any one person. On his back, his front, his hair, his _ass_. It didn’t help that the little touches were turning him on.

But, he couldn’t focus on that, nor the phone number that had been scribbled on a napkin and shoved into his back pocket. He had a familiar to track down. He wished he could just take Castiel off of Dean’s hands.

‘So, are you getting anything?’ Sam asked.

Dean looked around a shrugged. ‘I’ve been feelin’ weird ever since we got here,’ he replied. ‘I dunno if it’s ghosts or some fucked up mystical…divergence…thing.’

‘Do you think you can find the source?’

Dean huffed a long suffering sigh. ‘I’ll try.’

For over an hour, they went in circles. Inside the small topsy-turvy hut, around the perimeter, back inside. And then Dean lost whatever he was sensing.

He shook his head and shrugged. ‘I dunno, Sammy. I don’t feel anything anymore. For all we know, it was leading us on a wild goose chase.’

Sam chewed his lip and looked around. ‘How about we start at the entrance and work our way back?’

Dean groaned, but agreed.

.-.-.-.-.

They didn’t find anything. There was no trace of the presence Dean had been feeling earlier that day. Dean had no idea as to why Sam was so disappointed about the whole thing. The drive back to the motel was spent in silence.

Dean frowned as he pulled into the motel’s parking lot. He looked around carefully, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

‘Dean? Something wrong?’ Sam asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Dean replied distractedly. He got out of the car and kept looking around in confusion as they got closer to their room. ‘I think…something’s here.’

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when he heard shouting coming from their motel room. He looked from the door to Dean. He gave Dean an exasperated look when Dean pulled out his gun.

Dean quietly unlocked the door. He was actually surprised when there was no tell-tale click. Did _he_ keep the lock silent? Maybe being a witch wasn’t so bad. He pushed the door open a crack so he and Sam could see what was going on.

Castiel sat on the foot of one of the beds. A figure passed over the crack, and Dean immediately recognized him as Gabriel.

‘If he hates you so much, then why doesn’t he just banish you?!’ Gabriel shouted.

Castiel looked as he feet. ‘He doesn’t know it’s an option,’ he replied. ‘I have not been very…forthcoming with information.’

Gabriel stalked to the other side of the room. ‘So he doesn’t know _anything_?’

Castiel shrugged. ‘Everything is in the grimoire, but he wants nothing to do with it.’

‘Grimoire? Grim—fuck! You have the book with you?!’

Castiel nodded. He waved his hand, and the book appeared in his lap.

Gabriel stared and began pacing again. ‘Dammit, Cas. If anyone finds out… They’ll come after you! Only _this_ time, they won’t stop at threatening your witch!’

Castiel fidgeted with his hands. ‘She…she knew the risk. She kept them away.’

‘Yeah, and Dean doesn’t. Fuck. He can’t even sense a familiar standing right in front of him!’ Gabriel tuned to Castiel, his arms wide. ‘He can’t defend himself! You’re dragging that idiot into something he doesn’t have a clue about, and he doesn’t even care about you!’

‘I can protect Dean _and_ the book,’ Castiel argued.

Gabriel growled and grabbed at his hair. ‘So what?! _You_ have power. _Dean_ has plenty of power. But, that doesn’t mean anything when you don’t work together.’

Castiel hugged the book to his chest and refused to look up at Gabriel.

Gabriel stopped in his pacing and turned to stare at Castiel. ‘Is…is that why you did it? Why you brought them here? To get me to help you?! You could have just asked! You know I woulda said “yes”!’

Castiel violently shook his head. ‘No! It was Sam. He wanted a familiar, and I thought…’ Castiel stared up miserably at Gabriel. ‘I thought you might actually want to be bonded to a witch again.’

Gabriel laughed and resumed his pacing. ‘With _Sam_? Yeah, the guy’s fuckin’ hot, I’ll give him that, but he has next to no power.’

‘He’s smart.’

Gabriel threw Castiel a glare. ‘And we both know how that ends up. Dark witch waiting to happen,’ he said. He took a calming breath and paused.

‘Sam thirsts for knowledge,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘Not power.’

Gabriel didn’t respond, just stared ahead.

Sam frowned and looked at Dean. He balked at the intense stare he was receiving from his brother.

They both jumped back as the door flew completely open. Dean pointed his gun straight at Gabriel, but glanced away as something small and black darted from atop the bed to behind the dresser.

‘Is that true, Sammy?’ Gabriel asked, ignoring Dean. ‘Are you a nerdy witch?’

Sam stared in shock. ‘I…I mean… I uh…’

Gabriel strode closer, maintaining eye contact with Sam. ‘Would you be satisfied with just knowing things? Barely able to conjure a small flame for a candle, while your brother summons a terrifying storm and commands the very elements around him?’

Sam looked from Gabriel to Dean. Dean was no longer glaring at Gabriel, but at the dresser. ‘Can he… Could he really do that?’ Sam asked as he looked back at Gabriel.

At Gabriel’s nod, Sam let out an excited laugh. But, it was short-lived. He reminded himself that Dean hated what he was. He sighed and looked away. He watched as Dean struggled with the dresser, trying to move it. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’d never get to see it,’ he said. He waved his hand dismissively at Gabriel. ‘Y’know what… Nevermind. I’ve lived my whole life without a familiar. I don’t need one now. And…I don’t wanna end up evil.’

‘It’s a good thing you’re a looker, Sam,’ Gabriel said.

Sam looked from Dean to Gabriel. ‘Huh?’

‘I’ll do it. I’ll be your familiar.’

Sam smiled uncertainly. ‘Oh…um… So we’re compatible?’

‘Compatible?’

‘Well, Cas said a witch and familiar had to be compatible.’

Gabriel laughed, causing Dean to look up. ‘No, it doesn’t quite work like that,’ Gabriel replied.

‘What?’ Dean growled as he kicked at the dresser.

‘Most familiars are _compatible_ with all witches,’ Gabriel explained. ‘Cas, however…his power’s all over the place. He draws from light _and_ dark energies. Someone screwed up his initial summoning. Because of that, he needs a powerful witch to ground him. I draw from the light, so I can control my power on my own.’

‘So, not only am I a fucking witch, but I have a broken familiar,’ Dean said.

Gabriel glared at Dean. ‘He’s not broken,’ he said threateningly. ‘Be careful of what you say, little witch. You may be powerful, but you don’t know anything about how to use your magic. I’d wipe the floor with your ass.’

Dean seethed silently. He suddenly wanted to learn this magic crap. If only to shut Gabriel’s stupid mouth.

‘So!’ Gabriel turned back to Sam with wide smile. ‘You still game?’

‘Um… Y-yeah!’ Sam quickly replied, ignoring Dean’s scoff. ‘So…what do I do? Do I chant some sort of spell or perform a ritual or something?’

Gabriel grimaced as he looked toward the ceiling. ‘You’ve been watching too much TV. No, you just have to swear your power to me.’

‘Wait, _I_ had to say some spell,’ Dean said.

Gabriel gave Dean an amused look then shifted his gaze to the dresser. ‘Sorry, Dean-o. It’s the same for all familiars. Some prefer older languages and stuffy wording. _Some_ use the language barrier to trick innocent little witches.’

Dean stared at Gabriel. ‘He tricked me.’

Gabriel nodded.

Dean looked at the dresser. He should have been able to move it, but it was stuck firmly in place. Castiel had tricked him, and was now _cheating_ , using his power to remain hidden. It was the only explanation. He narrowed his eyes at the dresser. If Castiel could use magic to keep a dresser stuck, then he could use magic to unstick it.

‘Castiel, we need to talk,’ he growled. He swiped his hand from one side to the other and was more than a little surprised when the dresser actually moved. Dean stared down at the shocked cat. All eyes were on him.

‘That was amazing!’ Sam crowed. ‘How did you do it?’

Dean snapped from his daze and quickly reached down to grab Castiel by the scruff of the neck. He gave Sam a confused look. ‘I…I don’t know. I just wanted it to move.’

‘You overthink things,’ Gabriel pointed out. He watched as Castiel struggled helplessly in Dean’s grip. ‘Wow, Cas. Way to fit the stereotype. Should I start calling you “Cattiel”?’

Castiel ceased his struggles and managed the best glare he could, given his position.

‘Oh, God,’ Gabriel muttered, mortified. ‘I have to cuddle with him.’

‘You can cuddle all you want later,’ Dean said. He was beginning to feel better. Moving that dresser had been so satisfying. Maybe…maybe he could get used to this whole witch thing, after all. ‘I need to have a word with Cas.’

Castiel resumed his struggles and quickly found himself being hugged so tightly, he couldn’t move.

‘But first…he needs a bath,’ Dean said. There may have been a gleefully sadistic tone to his voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean set the scruffy, black cat in the center of the tub. He stared critically for a moment before pointing at Castiel. ‘Stay!’

Castiel crouched down and looked up at Dean miserably.

Dean vanished through the door and soon returned with scissors. He locked the door as laughter erupted from the other room. ‘And don’t you dare scratch me,’ Dean threatened as he knelt down and ran his free hand over Castiel’s back.

It took everything Castiel had to not lean into the touch. He felt a tug on his fur, and he flattened his ears as the scissors began snipping away. He pressed his head into the floor of the tub as Dean clipped his way along the fur. His ear was taken between two fingers, and he cringed, expecting the worst.

‘Jesus, Cas…,’ Dean muttered. The cat looked tentatively up at him. ‘Did you lose a fight with a lawn mower or something? Your ears are all torn up, and I’m finding scars under all these damn mats!’

Castiel looked away. His cat-friend had led a hard life, and she had been very territorial. He flinched as Dean pulled at another mat, getting ready to cut it away. _‘Gently!’_

‘Did you just say something?’ Dean stared at the cat in shock. He could have sworn he had just heard Castiel’s voice. Distant and echoey, but still close.

Castiel’s head shot up, and he stared at Dean. Hesitantly, he reached out to Dean’s mind. _‘You can hear me?’_

Dean frowned at Castiel. ‘Yeah…,’ he replied. ‘Fuck… Am I psychic?’

Castiel’s tail twitched quickly as he stood. _‘Of course not,’_ he replied. _‘A witch and familiar share a close connection. It…it means you’re more open to me. More…accepting…’_ He trailed off as he crouched back down and turned his ears back.

Dean sighed and he scratched at Castiel’s head. ‘Yeah, I guess. Look, I’m still pissed at you, but this whole…magic…thing… Well, I can see how it’d have its perks,’ he admitted.

 _‘You mustn’t abuse your power!’_ Castiel warned with a purr. _‘I would prefer you to not be dark.’_

‘I don’t wanna be evil, either. So, uh…what, exactly, do I need to avoid?’ Dean asked as he went back to clipping mats.

 _‘Dishonest acts, mostly. Creating false currency. You are permitted to create jewels and metals, but not for the sake of profit,’_ Castiel explained. _‘Avoid love spells and potions…anything that would change the personality of another individual or would take away their freedom.’_

Dean nodded and paused in his grooming. ‘Wait. So, like, “harm none and do as you will”?’ he asked. ‘That sorta thing?’

 _‘That is decent explanation, yes. Where did you get it from?’_ Castiel allowed Dean to turn him over and start work on his belly.

Dean grimaced at the matted fur on Castiel’s underside. It was much worse than the back. ‘One of those new agey, metaphysical stores,’ he replied. ‘It’s on all their shit.’

Castiel blinked slowly at Dean. ‘A…shop for witches?’ he asked. ‘And non-magical persons may enter it?’

‘It’s…well…’ Dean finished up Castiel’s stomach and flipped him back over. ‘I dunno… I woulda thought it was just people that _thought_ they were witches, but now…’

_‘Do they sell proper supplies?’_

Dean pulled down the shower head and turned on the water. ‘Crystals, pentagrams, incense, tarot cards… That sorta crap,’ he replied. Once satisfied with the water temperature, he pointed the stream of water at Castiel.

Castiel cringed as the water hit him. Every instinct told him to get away, but he remained. _‘No…those are tools that can be used to channel your power while you’re learning,’_ he replied. He let out a pathetic meow. _‘Dean, I don’t like this!’_

Dean smirked as he grabbed the shampoo and squirted some on Castiel’s back. ‘Good.’ He worked up a lather, careful to avoid Castiel’s eyes. ‘So, what are “proper supplies”?’

Castiel began pacing in the tub when Dean stopped scrubbing him. _‘Plants grown in special areas, tools made of specific materials, parts of creatures…’_ He shivered and let out a distressed yowl as he was hit with water again. _‘I-ingredients to potions. Things like that…’_

Dean was enjoying himself immensely. The only problem he was having was Castiel’s thin form. ‘We seriously need to fatten you up, Cas,’ he said grabbed Castiel by the scruff of the neck and held him up to spray off more soap. ‘Is your human form this skinny under all the clothes?’

Castiel tried not to struggle, but his limbs were outstretched, and his claws were splayed. _‘Dean, this is uncomfortable.’_ He only got a grunt in response. _‘When I was summoned, I received a healthy vessel, so no. I’m not malnourished.’_

Dean rinsed Castiel head to tail again, going as slow as possible. ‘Uh-huh… So _can_ we fatten up your cat side? I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of witches out there that wish they had a mangy, black cat, but you could stand to gain a pound or two.’

Castiel leapt out of the tub the moment Dean turned off the water. He shook his paws out, but could still feel water between his toes.

‘Don’t you dare change back,’ Dean said as he dried his hands off.

_‘W-what?!’_

‘You want me to forgive you for tricking me and lying to me?’ Dean asked as he knelt down and ran a towel over the cat.

 _‘Yes,’_ he quickly replied. He struggled to get away from the towel, but Dean kept hold of him. _‘Please, Dean, you’re making it **worse**!’_

Dean laughed softly. He pulled the towel back and admired his handiwork. ‘All right. Stay like that until you’re completely dry.’

_‘Like what?’_

‘As a cat. And no cheating with magic.’

Castiel hung his head and curled his tail around himself.

Dean opened the door and stared expectantly at Castiel. ‘Go on,’ he said. ‘Get out there.’

_‘I’d rather not…’_

‘Get out, or I’ll carry you out.’

Castiel stared at the floor as he slowly left the bathroom, shaking his legs as he went. He shrank away as Gabriel’s laughter rang out. He sat against the wall next to the bathroom door, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

Sam had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He felt a little sorry for Castiel, but from the look on Dean’s face, the two were getting along much better now.

‘Oh, no, you don’t,’ Dean said as he bent down and scooped Castiel up. He placed his familiar on top of the dresser and grinned. ‘You get to stay right there, where everyone can see you.’ He turned to look at Sam. ‘Where’s your camera?’

Sam reached into his bag and tossed his small, digital camera to Dean. He sent Castiel an apologetic smile.

Castiel meowed in protest as Dean ruffled his fur. _‘Dean, please!’_ he whined. He looked up and blinked curiously at the small object Dean held. A bright flash of light went off, and he was momentarily blinded. He blinked away the spots and turned his back on everyone.

Gabriel hurried up to his brother and began running his fingers through the wet fur. ‘Lookit you!’ he exclaimed and rubbed his face against Castiel, earning a hiss. ‘You smell so pretty!’ He quickly backed away as sharp claws swiped at his face. He looked to Dean. ‘You might wanna clip his nails.’

Dean made himself comfortable on one of the beds. ‘As long as he’s not clawing at _me_ , we’re good,’ Dean replied. He looked from Gabriel to Sam. ‘So… _why_ did we have to come to this crap mystery spot?’

Sam ducked his head as he sat on the edge of the other bed. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘It’s just… I wanted to know more, and you weren’t willing to know _anything_!’

‘That doesn’t mean you had to _lie_ ,’ Dean pointed out.

Sam sighed as he pushed his hair back. ‘Would you have _listened_?’ he asked. ‘I mean, you’ve never been into the occult. You always groaned about checking out a new location… And you were so mean to Cas. Of course I didn’t wanna say anything.’

Dean frowned as he looked away. His eyes fell onto Castiel, who was busy cleaning himself. ‘Good crotch?’

Castiel looked up and stared at Dean before hissing and going back to cleaning himself.


	5. Chapter 5

As always, Dean was the first to awaken.  He stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the recent turn his life had taken. He was a witch. He could move things with his mind. He could see dead people. He had a stereotypical black cat for a familiar. A black cat that was currently pressed against his side.

Slowly, Dean sat up and looked down at the cat. Castiel was curled into a tight ball. His legs twitched, and he made small mewling noises. Dean looked over to the other bed and let out a small scoff. Sam was sound asleep under the covers, and Gabriel was curled against him atop the covers, an arm draped loosely around Sam. Dean reached down and lightly ran his hand over Castiel’s uneven fur. The soft mewls were replaced by a purr that grew louder as Castiel woke up.

Castiel pushed himself against the hand stroking his fur. It had been so long since someone had touched him so gently. He yawned and looked up at the owner of the hand, half expecting to find his brother. He quickly flattened his ears and shrank away. ‘ _Dean! I…I’m sorry_ ,’ he said, looking away.

Dean frowned in confusion. ‘Sorry? For what? What’d you do now?’ he asked.

‘ _I…did not want to sleep alone again_ ,’ he explained.

‘Oh… Well…I guess it’s all right,’ Dean replied. ‘Just uh…don’t…y’know… Don’t be human and naked when you do it.’

Castiel cocked his head to the side and blinked slowly. Now that Dean was more open to him, he had a little insight into Dean’s mind. And Dean’s thoughts contradicted what he way saying. Witches were supposed to be honest with their familiars. This was new. ‘ _Is there a reason as to why?_ ’ he asked.

Dean coughed and looked over his shoulder to make sure his brother and Gabriel were still asleep. ‘Look, it uh… People might ask questions,’ he said.

With Dean’s attention elsewhere, Castiel returned to his human shape. ‘What sort of questions?’

Dean felt the weight on the mattress shift with Castiel’s transformation. He looked back at Castiel and found the familiar kneeling beside him, leaning in rather close. His eyes flicked down and he blushed at the state of Castiel’s clothes. It looked like Castiel had slept in them. They were overly rumpled, his tie was looser than normal, his shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and his overcoat and jacket were slipping off a shoulder. His shoes were missing, too.

Dean swallowed and leaned back. He could feel his cheeks heating up. ‘They might get the _wrong idea_.’

Castiel frowned. How would anyone get the wrong idea? A familiar usually slept close to their witch. It was for protection and comfort. It was practical. ‘I don’t understand,’ he admitted.

‘They might…they might think we’re _together_.’

Castiel slowly shook his head. ‘But we are.’

‘What?!’ Dean looked over his should again and found that his little outburst hadn’t woken Sam. ‘No, we’re not!’ he whispered harshly. Although, he wouldn’t mind seeing how together he could be with Castiel.

‘We are witch and familiar,’ Castiel said as he sat up straight; his coat and jacket fell off his other shoulder. ‘Of course we’re together.’

Dean bit his lip. ‘As in _fucking_ , all right?!’

Castiel blushed lightly. ‘Oh. Well…as I said before, it is not unheard of…’

Dean stared at Castiel with a dumbfounded expression. ‘Are you… Wait. No! I am _not_ interested in you like that! I’m not interested in you at all!’

Castiel looked down, uncertain of what he should say. Should he point out that Dean was lying? He decided against it. Dean was slowly getting used to being a witch and all it entailed. Knowing that Castiel had access to his personal thoughts would probably ruin all of the progress Castiel had made with Dean.

‘I see,’ Castiel said.

‘Um… So, uh… I’ll just go get ready?’ Dean said and quickly vacated the bed. He grabbed his bag on his way to the bathroom and locked himself inside, immediately starting up the shower.

Castiel let out a sigh and pulled his coat and jacket up. Dean was an annoying witch. He didn’t act how a witch was supposed to act. He looked over to the other bed when he heard a soft sniggering. He narrowed his eyes at Gabriel as his brother softly stroked Sam’s chest. ‘Good morning, Gabriel,’ he said, more loudly than was necessary.

Sam startled awake and groaned. He tried to reach up to push his hair out of his eyes, but found his arm trapped. He blinked and looked to see what was wrong. Gabriel grinned at him and patted his cheek softly.

‘Morning, sleepy head,’ Gabriel said and leaned closer.

Sam sat up quickly, forcing Gabriel aside. ‘What…what are you doing?! Why are you in my bed?!’

Gabriel pouted at Sam. ‘I’m your familiar, Sammy,’ he replied. ‘With a familiar comes certain…perks.’ He moved so that he straddled Sam’s legs and placed his arms around Sam’s neck. ‘And I’m _very_ perky in the morning.’

Sam shied away. ‘Um, you don’t have to uh… This isn’t required, is it?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ Gabriel gleefully replied.

‘No,’ Castiel cut in. ‘I explained it to Dean. _Some_ relationships progress to a more intimate status, but not all. Do not let Gabriel pressure you.’

Gabriel huffed as he scooted off of Sam. He stared dejectedly at his lap. ‘I’m not pressuring him,’ he quietly insisted.

Sam kept an eye on Gabriel as he got off the bed. ‘Look, Gabriel, I’m flattered. Really. But…’

‘You don’t know me,’ Gabriel finished. ‘Yeah, yeah. You humans are so uptight.’

Sam sighed and shook his head. ‘I’m not uptight,’ he replied. ‘I would just rather have sex with someone I haven’t _just_ met.’

Gabriel looked up and gave Sam a leering smile. ‘So…how’s about we catch dinner and a movie? We can get to know each other then head back to my place and have some coffee. King sized mattress, silk sheets… _restraints_.’

‘No, Gabriel. It doesn’t…’ Sam paused and stared at Gabriel. ‘You have a place? Where?’

Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh, catching small fragments of Sam’s thoughts. ‘I have an apartment,’ he replied. ‘Just because Cas chose to live in some dilapidated sty, doesn’t mean we all do.’

‘It was well warded,’ Castiel said defensively. He tugged at his coat, and tried to avoid eye contact with Sam and Gabriel. He blushed brightly as he caught a few of Dean’s more intense thoughts. If Dean wanted to bed him, then he should just come out and say so. He really didn’t understand his witch.

Gabriel slid off the bed and stretched, doing his best to make certain his shirt drifted high enough to give Sam a peek of his stomach. ‘So, what are we up to today?’ he asked, grinning when he caught Sam staring.

Sam quickly looked away. ‘Well, _I_ need to write up a piece on the mystery spot. If you happen to have any information on the history of the place, that would be really helpful. Otherwise, I’ll have to check with the library and city archives,’ he said as he headed to his bag and began pulling out his laptop.

Gabriel pulled a face. ‘That sounds really boring,’ he said as he followed Sam. ‘Shouldn’t you be digging up artifacts and robbing graves?’

‘No,’ Sam replied. ‘Most of what I do is write. Books, proposals, articles…’ He smiled and handed Gabriel a book that he had pulled out of his bag. ‘Most of it is backed by the museum, but the more, uh…out there stuff, I have to fund myself.’

‘Sammy, this is…boring,’ Gabriel said as he flipped through the book. He turned back to the cover and grimaced. It was a black and white photograph of an old fort. _Historic Forts of Texas_ , read the title, Sam’s name in a smaller font beneath it. He handed it to Castiel when he noticed his brother looking curiously over his shoulder. ‘So, no digs?’ he asked, letting his disappointment show.

‘Oh, I do that, too,’ Sam replied. He plugged in his laptop and sat down. ‘But, right now… I’m kinda stuck with tourist traps.’

‘Why?’ Gabriel asked as he took the other seat at the small table. He rested his head on his hand and stared happily at the excited look in Sam’s eyes.

‘Well, I had to justify coming to the mystery spot to the museum,’ Sam explained. ‘I convinced them that setting up an exhibit on tourist traps would help bring in some visitors. We’ll head out to Route 66 when we’re done here.’

Gabriel nodded in understanding. ‘When do you think we’ll get to go on a dig?’ he asked. ‘Can we dress you up like Indy, and then you shout about everything belonging in a museum? Can I be Miriam?’

Sam gave Gabriel a blank stare. ‘Uh… It’ll be a while…maybe a year or so. At least. I have to get stuff together for this exhibit first; then I have to help set it up. I’m gonna try to get a book out before the opening. Probably have to give a few lectures, too, while it’s running,’ he replied. He leaned over and rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a notebook and pen and set them in front of Gabriel. ‘You can help me by writing about your mystery spot. How it started, any gimmicks you used to get people to talk about it… Y’know… just anything interesting.’

Gabriel stared at the notebook and pen. ‘Uh…wouldn’t you rather learn magic or something? Y’know…just anything _interesting_.’

Sam smiled in response and shook his head. ‘We’ve got plenty of time for that later,’ he replied.

‘Sam, this is very well written,’ Castiel said, looking up from the book he held.

‘Thanks,’ Sam said, smiling proudly.

‘It’s a pity that some of your information is incorrect.’

Sam’s smile slipped. ‘W-what?’

‘Well, Fort Saint Louis… Their misfortune was brought on by a curse,’ Castiel replied as he flipped through the pages. ‘La Salle insulted a young witch and his family before setting out. As I understand it, the curse was meant to affect only La Salle, but the witch had little control.’

‘But…we have documents! Witness accounts! Nothing mentions a _curse_ ,’ Sam pointed out.

Gabriel snorted in amusement. ‘Best curse is when no one knows they’re cursed,’ he said. He then pointed at Sam and shook his finger threateningly. ‘Don’t try to curse anyone.’

‘I wouldn’t even know where to start!’

‘Dark magic is hard to control,’ Castiel added. ‘Especially for an amateur, and for one with so little innate power.’

Sam turned his attention back to his laptop. ‘Yeah, I get it,’ he said, glaring at the screen.

Gabriel threw Castiel a glare before laying his hand over Sam’s. ‘He’s not sayin’ you’re gonna turn dark,’ he said. He smiled when Sam’s eyes flicked up to meet his own. ‘Cas wasn’t exactly introduced to humanity on the best terms, so he doesn’t have the best people skills.’

‘Oh!’ Sam’s expression lit up, and he looked up at Castiel. ‘About that, I wanted to ask how you two were summoned. Gabriel, you said Castiel’s summoning was botched. How? What happened?’

Castiel gave his brother a sharp look. ‘My summoning is not up for discussion,’ he coldly replied. He set Sam’s book on the table and crossed the room to sulk in the corner. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, glaring at Sam and Gabriel.

‘It’s a touchy subject,’ Gabriel said dismisively. ‘But mine isn’t!’

Sam shifted his gaze from Castiel to Gabriel. His curiosity was piqued. ‘All right. So, how does one go about summoning a familiar?’

Gabriel grinned happily at Sam, then his expression turn to one of suspicion. ‘You’re not gonna go and summon a new familiar, are you? Not planning on getting rid of me, right?’

‘No! I just want to know how you two came to be,’ Sam replied. ‘Did you exist beforehand? What, exactly, are you guys?’

‘Well...it’s hard to explain…’ Gabriel chewed on his lip as he tried to figure out how to explain it. ‘We’re…uh…’

‘We exist as souls not constrained by a physical body,’ Castiel explained. He looked over when he heard the bathroom door open. He quickly looked away when he met Dean’s eyes.

Gabriel gave Castiel an unamused look. ‘Okay, so maybe it’s not that hard to explain. Anyway, we need a vessel to properly exist on this plane. That’s where witches come in. Because you guys are more in tune with other planes, you were able to communicate with us.

‘I guess we used to answer questions, give visions…that sort of crap,’ he said as he picked at his jeans. ‘Somewhere along the line, we got it into our heads that we wanted to experience your world.’

‘So, you gave humans a means to summon you,’ Sam said.

Gabriel nodded. His eyes fell on Castiel, who was staring at the floor. ‘Both sides came up with a solution… Started with circles, but we couldn’t leave the circle.’

‘That sucks,’ Dean said as he sat on a bed. He was watching Castiel. He could tell his familiar was uncomfortable with the conversation. ‘So, I’m guessing your uh…vessel acts as the circle, now?’

Castiel looked up, giving Dean an impressed look. ‘Essentially, yes,’ he said. ‘The witch provides us will an empty vessel, and—‘

‘And we take it,’ Gabriel quickly finished.

Sam narrowed his eyes. ‘Just like that?’ he asked. ‘No sacrifice? There’s more than enough literature to support major rituals requiring a sacrifice of blood.’

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. ‘Um…the uh…vessel is willing,’ he weakly replied.

‘Is that what happened to you?’ Dean asked Castiel. ‘Your vessel wasn’t willing?’

Castiel ducked his head. ‘Not exactly,’ he said quietly. ‘The witch who summoned me did not have all the required materials for the summoning.’

Sam frowned, not taking his eyes from Gabriel. ‘Your vessel _is_ the sacrifice.’

‘They’re willing,’ Gabriel insisted. ‘They volunteer! We wouldn’t be able to take over if they said “no.”’

‘Willing… Take over… Are…are they still in there with you? Still _alive_?!’ Sam asked, looking between Gabriel and Castiel.

‘No, they’re long gone,’ Gabriel carefully replied. ‘They sort of move on. Is…is this a problem?’

Sam stared silently. He hadn’t really thought about it before. Hadn’t thought about the human vessels that Gabriel and Castiel possessed. ‘And…it was completely consensual?’

Gabriel eagerly nodded.

‘So, that’s what you meant when you said you eased the cat’s way,’ Dean said. ‘How can a _cat_ give you permission for that?’

Castiel tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, trying to follow Dean’s line of thought. ‘Animal thought may be more abstract, but they are capable of communication.’

‘So…you get your human vessel right off the bat,’ Sam said, tapping his finger against his laptop in thought. ‘Traditionally, familiars are portrayed as animals, and Cas is a cat…’

‘Oh, I have twenty spares and counting,’ Gabriel proudly declared. ‘I make a very cute fox. Ever cuddle with a fox?’

‘ _Twenty_?!’

‘Yeah, we sort of collect them. Right, Cas?’

Castiel pointedly ignored Gabriel.

Gabriel leaned back with a snort. ‘He’s just jealous of me.’

‘I believe in being practical,’ Castiel spat. ‘I don’t need to be a…a _horse_!’

‘A horse?’ Sam repeated, a slight smile forming on his lips.

Gabriel pointed at Sam accusingly. ‘No! I know that pony ride look, and you’re never gonna ride me!’

‘Not in _that_ sense,’ Dean added.

‘Exactly,’ Gabriel agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

With Gabriel’s help, Sam had managed to finish a rough draft for his chapter on the mystery spot for his book. Unfortunately, he had to omit everything pertaining to how Gabriel would use his power to mess with people. When he brought up the subject of writing about witches and familiars, he had been expecting Gabriel and Castiel to shoot him down. He was surprised to find the pair of familiars completely neutral to idea.

‘No one’s stopping you,’ Gabriel as he flipped through the latest edition of his favorite gossip rag. ‘No rules against it.’

‘But, why not?’ Sam asked. He looked around the room, hoping that Castiel might have a more detailed explanation, but didn’t see him. ‘Where’s Cas? Did he go with Dean?’

Gabriel closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. ‘He’s…oh! Under my chair!’ He bent over and pulled a sleeping cat out. ‘Cassy! Why aren’t you with Dean?’

Castiel stretched as he woke up. He half-heartedly tried to twist out of Gabriel’s hold and gave up with a sigh. Hanging limply in the air, he stared at his brother. He returned to his human form after Gabriel set him back down. He yawned as he scratched his head and stretched, popping his back.

‘Well?’ Gabriel prompted.

‘He’s still uncomfortable around me,’ Castiel replied. ‘I’m giving him time to adjust.’

Gabriel rolled his eyes. ‘You should be spending time with him,’ he pointed out. ‘You guys need to bond.’

Castiel looked away and caught Sam’s curious stare. He looked back at his brother and sighed. ‘I have always let my witch choose how long it takes.’

Gabriel sagged in his seat. ‘In other words, you haven’t told him _anything_ about anything.’

‘Is this something I need to know about?’ Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head. ‘Nah, we’re good, Sammy,’ he replied. He stood and walked around the table to Sam. He leaned over, smiling. ‘Our bond is forming quite nicely. The more time we spend together, the quicker it settles. But…I know a way to speed things up.’ He leaned in a little further, his nose almost touching Sam’s.

Sam leaned back quickly, blushing brightly. ‘Uh…um… Okay. And that uh…won’t taint the bond or anything?’ he asked. His brows furrowed as he tried to recall either Castiel or Gabriel mentioning a bond or connection of any sort before. He came up empty. ‘Just what is it, anyway?’

Gabriel’s shoulders slumped as he recognized the look on Sam’s face. He needed to find a new tactic. Stop bringing up new information. He straightened and moved back to his seat. ‘Just what is says on the box. You might not be able to sense it yet, but we’ll work on that later,’ he replied. ‘Pretty much, it gives me insight on your thoughts. Nothing specific just yet, so don’t worry about that. It goes the other way, too.’

Sam laughed as he leaned back against his chair. ‘Great. Should I worry?’

Grinning, Gabriel tapped the side of his head. ‘Lotsa fun goin’ on up here,’ he replied.

Castiel turned his gaze to the door before crossing to the other side of the room.

Gabriel watched his brother with a frown then looked over as the door opened, revealing Dean carrying a few bags and a drink carrier.

Dean was beaming at the door. ‘This is _awesome_!’ he exclaimed as he entered the motel room. ‘Sammy, I can open doors with _my mind_!’ He set the bags and drinks on the table, smiling proudly at Sam.

Sam blinked up at Dean. ‘Wow, that’s…wow!’

‘I know!’

‘I should probably teach you some basic warding spells,’ Castiel said. He cast his eyes downward when Dean looked his way. ‘Just in case,’ he added quietly.

Dean grimaced at Castiel. Sure, he was getting a kick out of having magic powers, but he really wasn’t in the mood for any formal training. He did his time at school. And he definitely didn’t want to have to deal with a lot of meditation. ‘Yeah…sure. Whatever,’ he replied.

Gabriel sighed as he shook his head. As much as he wanted to smack Dean upside the head, he knew Castiel would get on his case for interfering. He pulled one of the bags closer and peeked inside. He groaned at the sandwiches. ‘Really, Dean-o? I didn’t take you for a health nut,’ he said as he pulled out a bag of chips. ‘Sodium…free? What?! Who makes chips without salt?!’

‘That would be _my_ food,’ Sam said as he tugged the bag and chips away from Gabriel. ‘I’m sure you’ll be happy with Dean’s taste in food.’

Dean turned back to the table and handed one of the other bags to Gabriel. ‘Cheeseburgers,’ he said, grabbing another bag and one of the drinks. He headed over to Castiel and held them out to the familiar. ‘You like burgers, remember?’ he said with a smirk.

Castiel blushed and refused to look up. After the incident at the roadside diner, their next food stop had been at a Wendy’s. Dean had shoved a burger at Castiel, ordering him to eat. Castiel had already thought the sandwich from the diner was delicious, but the burger… The burger was divine. His previous witch had always cooked for him, loving how appreciative he was of food. When Castiel moaned after his first bite, Dean momentarily lost control of the car.

Castiel slowly reached out and took the bag and drink. ‘Thank you,’ he muttered.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam was going over his checklist. He had his map, the first few tourist traps plotted, everything had been washed, the college had given him his budget… He chewed at the end of his pen as he stared at his notebook. It looked like everything was in order. He looked over to find Gabriel slumped over the small table, softly snoring. He walked over and gently prodded Gabriel’s shoulder.

‘Hm, s’wha…?’ Gabriel looked around, momentarily confused. When his eyes landed on Sam, he leaned back and smiled lazily. ‘Mornin’, tall, dark, and handsome.’

Sam rolled his eyes. ‘Hey, did you need to get anything from your place?’ he asked. ‘Sorry, I didn’t ask earlier. I was just really caught up.’

Gabriel yawned and stretched as he shook his head. ‘Nah, I’m good. Didn’t have much stuff anyway, and the popsicles won’t keep.’

‘Oh… Um…what about a lease? Your mystery spot? Don’t you need to do any paperwork at all?’ Sam sat across from Gabriel, frowning. ‘Sign stuff over… Pull money out of the bank? Anything?’

Gabriel raised a brow at Sam. ‘Really… I’m good. The mystery spot’ll fade, and…well…my, er, landlord doesn’t exactly know I’m staying there…’ At Sam’s questioning stare, he shrugged. ‘I’ve got a lot of power, Sammy,’ he explained. ‘I’ve been staying at the local college. In the uh…main building’s basement.’ He grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

‘What? But I thought… I thought you had an apartment or something.’

‘I’m not human, Sam. Not really,’ Gabriel replied. ‘I just did the Mysterious Mystery Spot for fun. Rake in a little cash for some entertainment. I’m a familiar. I’m all about _experiencing_ this life. I don’t need some swanky penthouse to do that.’ He paused and looked out the motel window. He saw Castiel leaning against the Impala, watching Dean load up the trunk. ‘It was a clean basement. I made it look real nice, but that’ll all fade, too. I don’t know how he could stand it…’

‘Huh?’ Sam followed Gabriel’s gaze. ‘You mean Cas? What about him?’

Gabriel sighed and looked back at Sam. ‘Living in that old house. Doing…nothing. Living off vermin.’ He tapped his fingers on the table. ‘I’d visit him occasionally. Try to get him to come with me. But he insisted on staying there. Said he had to wait for the right witch to come.’

‘He was waiting for _Dean_?’

‘No… Well, maybe.’ Gabriel looked back out at Castiel. ‘Look, it’s just…it’s hard to explain.’

‘He can see the future?’ Sam asked uncertainly.

‘Not even witches can see the future… Premonitions, yeah, but nothing solid,’ Gabriel replied.

‘Then how—‘

‘I don’t _know_ , all right?!’ Gabriel bent his head and laced his fingers through his hair. ‘No…I… It’s not my place to tell.’

Sam reached forward and gently stroked Gabriel’s hair. ‘It’s okay. I get it.’

Gabriel leaned into Sam’s touch. When Sam made to pull away, Gabriel placed his hand on Sam’s wrist. He stared at Sam for a few seconds before removing his hand. ‘Thanks,’ he said softly.

Sam nodded. He ruffled Gabriel’s hair before standing and grabbing his duffel from beside the table.

.-.-.-.-.

Once Dean had loaded the last bit of luggage into the Impala’s trunk, Castiel pushed off the car and slowly approached him. ‘Dean…’

Dean closed the trunk and looked up to find Castiel staring at him with a very serious expression. ‘Something wrong?’

‘No,’ Castiel quickly replied. ‘I was wondering…when would be a good time for you to begin practicing your magic?’

Dean groaned as he leaned against his car. ‘Do I _have_ to? Am I gonna have an accident or something if I don’t?’

Castiel sighed and looked away in frustration. ‘No,’ he grudgingly admitted. ‘But it would be for the best if you learned.’

Dean pushed off the car and slapped Castiel on the arm as he passed him. ‘Then we’ll worry about it when I find something I wanna learn,’ he said with a cheery smile. ‘That works, right?’

Castiel’s shoulders slumped in defeat. ‘I suppose…’ At this rate, Dean was never going to learn how to use his power. He looked over as his brother and Sam emerged from the motel room. He felt a pang of jealousy and quickly looked away, busying himself with removing his overcoat and letting himself into the car.

After two hours on the road, Gabriel was getting antsy. ‘God, Cas, how can you stand this?!’ He fidgeted in his seat, loosening and tightening his seatbelt. He leaned over to Castiel and gave him a shake. ‘I don’t like this! You lied to me! You said it was _relaxing_.’

‘It is,’ Castiel replied. ‘It’s like flying.’

‘I don’t like flying!’

‘You ‘n’ me, both,’ Dean commented.

‘We’re moving fast, and we’re not moving, and it’s hot, and it feels weird,’ Gabriel explained as he shifted his attention to Sam. He reached over the seat and scratched as Sam’s shoulders. ‘Can we stop? Just for a little while?’ he begged. ‘Five minutes, _please_?’

Sam looked over at Dean and gave him a slight shrug. ‘It’s not like we’re on a time crunch.’

Dean let out a frustrated grunt. ‘Fine. But _only_ five minutes.’

They pulled off at the first rest stop they came to, and Gabriel darted out of the car. He paced back and forth, wringing his hands together.

The others exited the car, and Sam made his way to Gabriel. Dean watched as his brother tried to calm the familiar. He exhaled slowly and turned his head to Castiel. His breath caught as Castiel removed his coat and leaned into the car to set it on top of his overcoat. Dean bit his lip as his eyes settled on the fabric stretched tight across Castiel’s ass.

Castiel stiffened and his breathing increased. Despite the heat, he probably should have kept his coat on. He silently wished he could be as forward and open as Gabriel. To be unafraid of the potential consequences for calling Dean out on his attraction. He had never been with a witch that actively thought about him as a sexual partner. As much as Dean’s thoughts were driving him crazy, he found he rather liked the feelings they gave him. Slowly, he pulled out of the car and stood straight. He glanced at Dean and offered a tentative smile. ‘Is everything all right?’

Dean quickly looked away, trying to hide the blush that threatened to surface. ‘Yeah. Everything’s fine,’ he said in a rush. ‘So, uh… Flying, huh?’

Castiel shut the car door and leaned against it. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘A Peregrine Falcon.’

‘Hey, that’s cool!’ Dean said, grinning. ‘Wait, is it…you…er… Well… Is bird-you a fucked up mess?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘Y’know… Cat-you is all scratched up and starving, so…is bird-you the same way?’ he asked.

Castiel looked away self-consciously. ‘Oh. Um, no. He was poisoned, so…he was in very good condition,’ he explained. He could feel Dean’s thoughts dwelling on his vessels. He looked back at Dean, catching his eyes. ‘My human vessel is the only one of my vessels that was not dying, and he willingly offered himself to me.’

Dean nodded and shifted his weight. ‘Right. So…how many vessels do you have?’ he asked.

Castiel smiled slightly. ‘There’s a spell where you can have me cycle through them,’ he said. ‘And other spells where you can call upon specific vessels… I am your familiar. You do not implicitly command me, but there are ways for you to be…persuasive.’

Dean’s mouth went dry. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak, but before anything could come out, Sam was calling out.

‘All right! We’re ready!’

Dean tore his eyes away from Castiel and they landed on Sam, who was carrying what looked like a small dog. His eyes narrowed on the large ears and fluffy red tail tipped in white. The fluffy tail was missing a good section of fur. ‘No,’ he said.

‘He’ll stay on my lap,’ Sam promised. ‘He won’t shed on anything, won’t dig his claws into anything.’

The fox in Sam’s arms gave a delighted yip and struggled to prop its head on Sam’s shoulder.

‘Sammy, you know the rules,’ Dean said slowly. ‘No dogs.’

‘But, he’s not a dog, he’s a fox. And, technically, he’s not that, either,’ Sam pointed out.

‘If you don’t want to make frequent stops, then this would be the best option,’ Castiel added. ‘In times of discomfort, the closer we are to our witch, the better.’

Dean glared at the fox. ‘Fine,’ he relented. ‘But you scratch my baby… Magic or no magic, I will make you pay.’


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriel bounded happily out of the car the moment the door opened. He ran up to the motel room door and back to car to yip anxiously at Sam. As Sam got out and stretched, Gabriel circled his feet and rubbed against his legs.

Sam knelt down and scratched behind Gabriel’s ears as he laughed softly. ‘Yes, we’re here!’ he said. ‘No more car ride.’ He stood quickly as Gabriel licked at his face. ‘Okay, yeah, don’t do that,’ he said as he wiped his hand over his face.

Gabriel huffed and sulked back to the motel door to wait. He sat on his haunches and gave his best annoyed look when Castiel stood next to him. They watched as Sam and Dean unloaded the trunk.

‘Why doesn’t he change back?’ Dean asked Sam in a quiet tone.

Sam shrugged as he pulled his laptop case out and set it next to his leg. ‘Maybe they have trouble changing under stress?’ he replied, not bothering to keep quiet.

Dean laughed as he stood. ‘Performance anxiety? Is that it?’ He grinned at the small growl coming from the fox. ‘Trouble getting it up?’

‘Getting what up?’ Castiel asked, unable to get a clear meaning off of Dean. He probably should have made a better attempt at keeping up with modern colloquialisms. He quickly looked down as Dean’s mind drifted to sexual imagery. ‘Never mind.’

He looked up as a hand fell on his shoulder. Dean was smiling at him in amusement.

‘It’s just a phrase,’ Dean explained. ‘I’m sure Gabe’ll tell you _all_ about it when he’s able to perform.’

Gabriel barked and nipped at Dean’s heels. He yelped as Sam picked him up. Twisting and kicking out, he attempted to nibble at the hands that held him.

‘Careful, Sammy,’ Dean said teasingly as he opened the door, ‘I think he’s a biter…and a screamer.’

Sam blushed lightly as Gabriel yipped and yowled in his arms. ‘Shut up,’ he said as he pushed his way past Dean and into the room. He tossed Gabriel onto the closest bed before carefully setting his laptop bag on the floor.

‘Dean?’

Dean took in the serious look on Castiel’s face and sighed. ‘What is it?’

‘I… I know you are not particularly fond of learning magic, but… I really do think you should learn some basic warding,’ Castiel said. ‘Protection from trespassers…burglars…’

‘Solicitors?’

Castiel narrowed his eyes in confusion. ‘You could easily alter a spell for that purpose, yes.’

Dean nodded and clapped Castiel on the shoulder. ‘Well, we haven’t had a problem yet, so I’m not too worried about it. Maybe later.’

Castiel watched helplessly as Dean entered the motel room. He sighed and turned his gaze away from the motel. It would be up to him to place protection spells. Again. He hoped his use of his own power wasn’t attracting any unwanted attention, but he knew it was hopeless. Sooner or later, someone, somewhere, was going to notice.

‘Ya’ comin’ in or what?!’

Castiel nodded distractedly. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring at his brother.

Gabriel was back to his human form and struggling to remove his shoes. Once he managed to free his second foot, he grimaced at the state of the shoe he held. ‘Man, I need some new clothes…’ He brightened as an idea struck him. ‘Hey, Sammy! Wanna help me make a new outfit?’

‘Can’t you do it yourself?’ Sam asked, looking between Gabriel and Castiel. ‘Cas did it…’

Gabriel scoffed and rolled his eyes. ‘Fine, if you don’t wanna learn magic…’

‘Oh! Yeah! Of course I do!’ Sam said excitedly and came up to the bed. ‘What do I do?’

‘And _where_ is he going to get the power?’ Castiel asked. He flinched at the heated look Dean shot him. He hadn’t meant to be insulting.

Gabriel ignored Castiel and patted the spot next to him. ‘Cas has a point. Since you have so little innate power, we just need to _make_ some. Charge the air. Get it ready.’

Sam sat down, frowning. ‘So…I’m like an empty battery?’

‘One that can’t hold a charge. We have to…plug you in, as it were,’ Gabriel replied, winking.

‘Okay. How?’

Gabriel grinned widely. ‘Sex magic!’

Sam blinked and leaned away. ‘W-what?’

‘Oh, c’mon. It’ll be fun! Tell ya’ what, we can have an orgy and make a whole new wardrobe!’

Castiel turned away slightly. He knew Dean wasn’t looking at him—avoiding looking at him, actually—but he still didn’t want Dean to see just how red his face was. He screwed his eyes shut as Dean’s interest was piqued.

‘Sex magic?’ Dean asked incredulously.

‘I-it is actually quite practical for a witch in Sam’s situation,’ Castiel carefully replied once he was certain he had complete control over his voice. He breathed calmly and, with a quick tap to his cheek, turned to face Dean. Using magic to cover a blush…he was finding himself at an all new low. No one had ever managed to make him feel so self-conscious before. ‘You needn’t worry about it. Unless…you feel like it would ease you into using your power?’

Dean groaned as he leaned his head back. ‘Come off it already! I’ll do magic when I’m good an’ ready!’

Castiel gave an annoyed huff and crossed his arms.

Sam coughed uncomfortably. ‘As fun as it sounds… Is there anything else? Something…easy?’ he asked. ‘Any beginner spells?’

Gabriel tossed his shoe across the room. ‘I guess. Cas, what’s a good beginner spell? Light a candle?’

Castiel stared at the floor in thought. ‘No,’ he eventually said. ‘The spark required for the flame would need to be summoned. Nothing that requires creation or summoning… Levitation would be a good choice. Something easy to visualize.’

Gabriel looked around and caught sight of a note pad on the nightstand between the beds. He crawled across the bed and ripped off a piece. He crawled back to Sam’s side and held up his hands, the piece of paper resting lightly on his palms.

He smiled encouragingly at Sam. ‘Move it!’

‘What? _How_?’ Sam asked, bewildered. ‘What am I supposed to do?’

Gabriel’s smile faltered, and he looked to Castiel. ‘You just…I dunno… You envision it moving?’

Castiel sighed and uncrossed his arms as he approached the pair, aware of Dean’s eyes following him. He held his hand above Gabriel’s and the paper slowly floated up and back down. ‘You have to want it to move. There can be no doubt in your mind that it will resist,’ he explained. ‘Imagine what it would feel like to move it with your hand. The grain of the paper, the weight…then erase that. Leave only the thought and need of movement.’

Sam nodded and turned his attention to the paper. He stared determinedly at it for a few minutes then leaned back with a frustrated sigh. ‘I can’t… I’m doing something wrong.’

‘It’s okay,’ Gabriel said, not moving his hands. ‘Give it another go. You can do it.’

‘You said yourself that I’d barely be able to light a candle,’ Sam reminded. ‘I just… I don’t think I can.’

Castiel threw Gabriel a glare. ‘You told him that?’

Gabriel shifted and shrugged uncomfortably. ‘Well…I uh…’ He looked away from Sam’s confused stare. ‘Sorry.’

‘What? Sorry? About what?’ Sam looked from Gabriel to Castiel.

‘You are capable of doing anything a powerful witch can,’ Castiel explained, ‘but you lack the control and power to back it. You will have to draw your power from other sources. That’s how a witch lacking in power goes dark. It starts small…using a rat’s life to power a spell, but it can quickly escalate to human and spirit life.’

‘Does it have to be a life?’ Sam asked quietly.

‘No,’ Gabriel quickly insisted. ‘Like I said, sex magic! Or uh…a storm, electricity… You could probably use batteries?’

‘Sacrifice just happens to be more convenient,’ Castiel added.

Sam looked up as Dean came up beside him. Dean held out a fist, and Sam lifted his hand, palm open. He blinked at the pair of AA batteries that dropped into his palm. He looked back up at Dean.

Dean shrugged. ‘I dunno… It might help,’ he said. He glanced at Castiel, and his breath caught at the soft smile he received. He quickly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I mean, it’s not like you’d need a lot of juice to move a piece of paper, right?’

‘And you can do better?’ Gabriel scoffed. ‘Yeah, you can move shit when you’re pissed, but let’s see you do it in a controlled setting.’

Dean eyed the paper in Gabriel’s hands. ‘Just…move it without touching it, right?’ At Gabriel’s nod, he leaned down and narrowed his eyes in concentration. He breathed in slowly and held his breath. A moment later he quickly breathed out, blowing the paper off Gabriel’s hands. He straightened, grinning down at Sam and Gabriel’s twin expressions of annoyance. He held his hands up and shrugged. Softs sounds were coming from beside him, and he looked over at Castiel.

Castiel had his hand over his mouth, covering his smile. He was trying desperately not to laugh. Dean might not be willing to learn magic, but he _was_ clever and practical. Maybe that was what he needed. Someone that _didn’t_ rely on magic. But…not using it and not relying on it were two different things.

His stomach clenched as Dean’s attraction hit him again. He coughed and quickly looked away. ‘Um… That’s…that’s all very well and good, but uh…maybe, you could try using magic?’ he said. And just like that, the attraction was gone, replaced by irritation.

Dean rolled his eyes and turned to the door. ‘Right, later. Right now, I’m hungry,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back with some grub in a few.’

Castiel sighed as the door opened and shut.

‘Er…I don’t think you should push the whole magic thing with Dean,’ Sam said.

‘It’s kinda hard for us,’ Gabriel said as he picked up the paper from where it had landed on the bed. ‘We thrive on it. Having a witch for companionship is great, but if their magic isn’t flowing through us, we… It’s just not the same. We’re not just on a physical level. We can feel…you. Everything about you. Your soul. Your magic. Not using your magic cuts us off from that part of you.’

Sam looked up to find Castiel staring dejectedly at the door. ‘Oh. Sorry,’ he said quietly.

Castiel shrugged and moved around to the other bed. In an instant, he was replaced by the small, black cat. He hopped onto the bed and settled onto one of the pillows and curled up.

Sam looked back at Gabriel then down at the batteries in his hand. ‘So…you wanna give it another go?’ He laughed softly at Gabriel’s eager nod.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean frowned at the bag of mixed fruit he held. He had decided to stop at a supermarket rather than his normal choice of fast food joints. He needed to get out of the motel room. Get away from Castiel’s persistent pestering. Away from Castiel’s smile. And shopping at a supermarket gave him a better excuse for being out longer.

Dean was feeling confused and frustrated. Castiel made him feel that way. The man…familiar was certainly attractive enough. He was calm and wasn’t too annoying. But…he wasn’t human. His body wasn’t even his. And then there were the animal vessels…

And it wasn’t even like Castiel was interested in him. He only seemed like he was interested in getting Dean to use his magic. The familiar brushed off anything that hinted at intimacy. Sam had it easy. Gabriel was very forward on the matter. Sex magic actually sounded fun. More fun than levitating paper.

Dean grunted as he set the fruit bag into the cart. He felt weird. He probably just needed to get laid. It had been a while. He startled when another cart ran into his.

A pretty brunette smiled apologetically at Dean. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Wasn’t watching where I was going.’

‘Yeah… No problem,’ Dean replied.

‘Haven’t seen _you_ in here before. New in town?’

‘Huh? Oh, uh…no. Just passing through.’

‘Pity,’ the woman said, running her eyes over Dean. ‘Where are you headed?’

Dean smiled, leaning over the handle of his cart. ‘South. Road trip along America’s greatest highway.’

The woman picked up an orange from one of the piles of fruit. She rolled it between her hands and batted her eyes at Dean. ‘That sounds fun. My name’s Ruby.’

‘Dean.’

Ruby grinned and held her hand out. She winked at Dean as they shook hands. ‘If you don’t have anywhere to be…’

Dean’s smile began to slip as an odd feeling crept up his spine. He…didn’t like this girl. Something about her was off. He let go of her hand and coughed to cover up his discomfort. ‘I uh… Thanks, but I gotta get back,’ he said, looking over his shoulder. ‘I’ve already taken too long.’

Ruby pouted at Dean. She moved closer and placed her hand on Dean’s chest and stood on her toes. ‘How about this? A souvenir to add to your collection,’ she whispered and kissed Dean’s cheek.

Dean did not like the smile she gave him as she pulled away. It was friendly enough, but the vibe he got… He quickly excused himself and hurried with the rest of his shopping.

Ruby waggled her fingers at Dean. Her eyes narrowed, and her grin turned malicious as Dean turned the corner. ‘Give Castiel my love,’ she said sweetly.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel’s head shot up, and he stared at the door. It couldn’t be. He had warded the motel room. There was no way she could have found him. Unsteadily, he got on his feet and backed to the edge of the bed. The door opened, and he arched his back, hissing and spitting.

‘Cas? What the hell’s wrong with you?’ Dean asked as he entered the room. He set the bags down, looking from Castiel to Sam and Gabriel. He had a headache that had started just after leaving the store. He didn’t want to have to deal with a rabid familiar. ‘Did this just start?’

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Dean. ‘Where did you go?’ he asked. He leaned away as Dean came closer. ‘How about you stay back?’

Dean stopped in his tracks, frowning. ‘The hell is goin’ on?!’

‘You don’t…feel like you,’ Gabriel explained. He looked over as Castiel’s hissing turned into a distressed yowl.

Castiel backed further away and fell off the edge of the bed. As Dean hurried to check on him, he backed against the wall and took his human form. He pressed back as much as he could and held his hand up, ready to shoot off a spell if needed.

Dean stopped short at the wild look in Castiel’s eyes. ‘Cas?’

‘Get away from me!’ Castiel screamed.

Both Sam and Gabriel had stood from their spot on the other bed and were cautiously approaching Castiel.

‘What’d I do?’ Dean asked, looking at Gabriel for an answer.

Gabriel shook his head. ‘I don’t know… I mean, you don’t feel right, but he shouldn’t be acting like this.’

‘What do you mean?’ Sam asked.

‘Just…Dean doesn’t feel like Dean.’

Dean attempted to get closer to Castiel only to have the frantic familiar edge away and into a corner. The air was thick and heavy with something. Dean finally placed the oppressive feeling and where it was coming from. Castiel was scared to death.

‘Stay away from me! I don’t need you! I don’t need _any_ witch!’

Dean held his hands up in a placating gesture and stepped closer. ‘Cas, it’s _me_. It’s Dean…’

‘Leave me alone!’ Castiel hissed. He ran his hands along the walls. His right hand found a dresser, and he felt along it, finding a lamp. He gripped it tightly and pulled it toward himself. He held it in front of himself and glared at Dean. When Dean was close enough, he took a swipe.

Dean gasped as Sam pulled him back by the collar. The bottom of the lamp flew across his vision, inches from his face.

‘Dean—‘

Dean growled as he shoved Sam’s hand off. ‘Dammit, Cas!’ He strode forward and blocked the second swipe. He held Castiel’s wrist tightly and almost felt sorry at for the panicked look he had caused.

Castiel shook his head rapidly. ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘You can’t do it. You can’t dismiss his claim. It’s not allowed!’ He pulled at his wrist and clawed franticly at the hand that held it. He struggled, staring wide-eyed at the blonde smiling serenely at him.

‘Do you think I care? I’ve done worse than dismiss a claim. And you helped,’ she said.

Castiel cringed and renewed his struggles. ‘No! You tricked me! It doesn’t count! Ruby, _please_!’

‘Oh, sweetie, you knew exactly what you were doing,’ she said softly. ‘Come back to me. You know you want to. You _want_ to feel a _proper_ witch’s magic coursing through your veins.’

Castiel clenched his eyes shut. Tears ran down his cheeks as he cried out his denials and pleas. He gasped as a gentle hand rested on his cheek. Ruby had never been gentle. She had always grabbed, pushed, and demanded. He hesitantly looked up, and the image of Ruby flickered, giving way to Dean.

He stared at Dean as the traces of Ruby’s magic lifted. He gave a shuddering breath, taking in Dean’s concerned expression. Dean wiped a tear with his thumb, and Castiel let out a soft whimper. He clutched at Dean’s hand, holding it against his cheek as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Dean’s chest.

‘Don’t let her take me,’ he begged. ‘You can’t! I saw you, and you came, and you just can’t let her take me! I waited…I waited so long…’

Dean let go of Castiel’s hand and rubbed the familiar’s back soothingly. The moment Castiel had said Ruby’s name, Dean made the connection. The off feeling he got from her, the headache he had driving back to the motel, and Castiel’s freak out. It was a spell, it had to be. That bitch had placed a spell on him! Not only that, but from what Castiel had been screaming, Ruby wanted Castiel as her familiar.

She had touched his chest and kissed his cheek, and he could feel a lingering pressure in those spots. As Castiel had struggled, Dean wiped at the pressure on his cheek with his free hand and was relieved to find it no longer there. When he touched Castiel’s cheek, the pressure on his chest lifted and his headache was gone.

Castiel gulped as he caught his breath. He took comfort in Dean’s presence, but pulled away, not wanting to make Dean uncomfortable again. ‘I-I’m all right,’ he said unsteadily. He sucked in a breath as he was pulled back into the hug.

‘No, you’re not,’ Dean said gruffly. He looked up to find Gabriel smiling approvingly down at him. ‘So…what was that?’ he asked.

Gabriel shrugged. ‘Near as I can tell? Some sort of glamour spell, but it was just aimed at Cas,’ he replied.

Castiel clung tightly to Dean. ‘Ruby… What did she look like? She was young and blonde when last I saw her.’

‘Uh, short, pretty…brunette?’ Dean offered.

Castiel let out a bitter laugh. ‘She’s vain,’ he said. ‘Of course she’ll be pretty.’ He sighed as he shook his head and pressed it further into Dean’s chest. ‘No…she gets a new body about once every fifty years or so. It’s a simple enough spell…transference of consciousness and essence.’

‘What kinda spell is that?! Fucking _body swapping_?! Who the fuck came up with _that_?!’ Dean looked down in confusion as Castiel cringed in his arms. ‘Cas?’

‘I-I came up with it…,’ Castiel quietly admitted.

‘So familiars create new spells?’ Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head. He eyed Castiel for a moment. When Castiel made no move to stop him, he continued. ‘No, we can’t do spellwork like witches. We can do magic, illusions, healing, but nothing like you guys can,’ he said. ‘Dark or light, we have a shit ton of power, but for anything controlled, we need a witch to ground us. I’ve been here long enough to learn to control my power without needing a witch. I’m based in light, so it was a lot easier to learn. I was…one of the first to be summoned. Cas has been here about half as long.

‘You guys… You have the precision and control for spells. We’re wild magic; you’re ordered magic.’

Dean thinned his lips. ‘So…you guys come up with the idea behind the spells?’ He felt Castiel’s fear kick up again.

‘No… We’d be good if witches only did little spells,’ Gabriel said. ‘We don’t need you guys to do anything difficult.’

‘Then…’

‘I…I’m different. My power is light _and_ dark,’ Castiel said suddenly. ‘I-it’s my vessel. You know the summoning went wrong. It didn’t…it didn’t go _wrong_ … the wrong vessel was offered.’

Dean frowned as Castiel pulled away and huddled in the corner. ‘What?’

‘The witch who summoned me…he…’ Castiel hugged himself as he avoided Dean’s eyes. He had only ever told a handful of his witches about his summoning. It had never really come up, and, of the few that he had told, most had dismissed him immediately after. He flinched at the gentle hand that rested on his shoulder. He only felt concern and a willingness to help coming from Dean.

‘James was supposed be my first witch, but…he offered himself as the vessel,’ he whispered. ‘He took _so…long_ to fade… Screaming, pleading… He thought _I’d_ be trapped within _him_ , able to command my power…not the other way around.’

‘He summoned you into himself?!’ Dean asked. ‘Why would he do that?’

Castiel shook his head miserably. ‘He wanted to protect his family. They were being threatened by a dark witch, and he needed power. Protection. I did my best to appease him. He…he finally faded after his daughter had married and his wife had died.’

‘I thought the vessel had to be willing,’ Sam said.

‘He was…at first.’ Dean’s hand hadn’t left his shoulder, so Castiel hesitantly reached up and grasped Dean’s hand in his. ‘He found an old scroll on summoning familiars, but he mistranslated it. He didn’t even know he was a witch.’

‘So…what did he _think_ he was doing?’ Sam asked.

‘He thought he was summoning an angel,’ Castiel replied. ‘It’s happened before…summoning a familiar into a witch’s body. It happened with Lucifer and Michael…and that didn’t end well… They’re the reason witches are not permitted to offer themselves or other witches as vessels.’

‘Wait,’ Sam cut in, ‘ _The_ Lucifer and Michael? As in Heaven and Hell?!’

‘Where do you think all your stories of angels and demons come from?’ Gabriel asked, a slight teasing tone to his voice. ‘Those two never got on. Even back home.’

‘So…then you’re…’

Gabriel gave a slight bow. ‘Archangel Gabriel, at your service! Just don’t expect me to be blowin’ any horns.’

Dean let out short laugh. ‘Not unless they’re attached to Sam, I bet,’ he said, he smirked at Sam’s groan. He felt no real amusement, but he definitely needed the mood to be lighter. He smiled gently as Castiel glanced up at him. ‘You gonna be okay?’

‘You don’t hate me?’

Dean shook his head. ‘Why would I hate you?’

‘Because I didn’t tell you… Because I lied… I don’t actually _need_ a witch to ground me… I can ground myself,’ Castiel said quietly.

Dean frowned at Castiel. ‘Then why stick around?’

Castiel shrugged. ‘I didn’t want to go back,’ he replied. ‘The house you found me in…it’s the only place I can be without being traced. If I’m not grounded by a witch, then I have to rely on my…my own witch’s power, and that can be tracked.’

‘You can’t track a familiar’s power. Whether we draw from the light or the dark, we all have the same…signature,’ Gabriel explained. ‘But every witch has a distinct power signature.’

Sam nodded in understanding. ‘The whole ordered and wild magic thing, right?’

Gabriel gave a grin. ‘Right!’

‘Then that Ruby chick is tracking Cas,’ Dean said. He placed his hand at the back of Castiel’s neck and gave a gentle squeeze.

Castiel nodded. ‘Every time I use my magic, I show up on her instruments… That’s…that’s why…’

‘Why you were all about teaching me warding spells,’ Dean finished.

‘If _you_ can do it, _I_ don’t have to. I never wanted to cause you any trouble,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘I…I thought I would have had more time to convince you.’

‘Well, I’m convinced, now.’

Castiel shook his head. ‘She’ll be tracking _you_ as well… Only, _you_ don’t have to use your magic for her to be able to find you.’

Dean’s breath caught. ‘I led her right here?!’

Castiel shrugged. ‘She can’t get in. I’ve warded the room against her and others. Just…don’t invite anyone in.’

Dean looked up at Sam and Gabriel. ‘So, what do we do?’

‘Kill her?’ Gabriel suggested.

‘We can’t just _kill_ someone!’ Sam argued.

‘Not with magic,’ Gabriel admitted. ‘You are forbidden from killing her with magic, Sammy. One-way ticket to the dark side.’

‘What if…what if we stick you back in that house?’ Dean asked. ‘She can’t get you there, right? We’ll give it a year, let her see that you’re not with us, then come back for you.’

Castiel shook his head. ‘It’s not just _me_ that she’s after. She wants the book as well.’

‘Book? What book?’

Castiel sighed in irritation as the old book materialized in his hands. ‘This book. The grimoire. _My_ grimoire… Every witch has one, whether it’s passed down or they write it themselves. The older ones hold their own power, like mine, but…mine is a familiar’s grimoire. It shouldn’t even exist. If Ruby had it, then…she would be unstoppable.’

‘Then can we just get rid of it? Destroy it or something?’ Sam asked.

‘It’s too late for that,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘It’s indestructible… It’s bound to my soul, so…at least no one can just take it.’

‘Dammit, Cas,’ Gabriel hissed under his breath.

Sam frowned at Gabriel. ‘What? What’s wrong?’

Gabriel grimaced as he turned away. ‘He’s bound to the book, and the book’s bound to him…and Dean is wrapped up in-between. Why don’t you tell me these things?!,’ he said.

‘I didn’t want to worry you. I’m sorry,’ Castiel mumbled, clutching the book close.

‘Wait, so what’s that mean for _me_?’ Dean asked.

‘Cas is your familiar, so the book’s yours by default,’ Gabriel explained, running a hand through his hair. ‘If Ruby wants the book, she’ll need Cas. And you…one way or another, she’ll have to take _you_ out of the picture.’ He turned to look down at Dean. ‘And she’s not the only one out there after Castiel.’

Dean ran his hands over his face and looked from Gabriel to Castiel, cowering in the corner. ‘Shit… And you couldn’t have said anything sooner?’ he said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He never should have followed Sam into the old house.

The book vanished as Castiel hugged himself. He shuddered as he felt Dean’s thoughts slip away from him. ‘I can leave,’ he offered. ‘The bond will fade, or you…you can dismiss me. O-or ba…banish me. The latter would be best…’

‘No one’s banishing you, Cas!’ Gabriel shouted. He stared pleadingly at Sam. ‘If he gets banished, you have to banish me, too!’

‘No one’s banishing anyone,’ Dean said gruffly as he stood. Here he was. A witch with a familiar. Even if he was angry with Castiel, he couldn’t bring himself to hate him. If he had been stuck in some drafty, old house for over a century, he’d probably omit a few details, too, if it ensured his freedom. ‘But you _are_ banished from the bed for the time being.’


	8. Chapter 8

The feeling inside the Impala was tense. Dean was thankful that Gabriel was behaving, silently curled up on Sam’s lap. But he didn’t know what to make of Castiel. Every time he checked the rearview mirror, he had to remind himself that his familiar was curled up on the floor behind his seat.

He sighed as he pulled up to a roadside diner and looked over at Sam. Everything seemed so much easier for his brother. Studying, good grades, following his dreams and passions, getting his dream job, just…everything. And what did Dean have? A G.E.D., an old car, and _maybe_ $300 in savings. At least his car ran well.

He frowned to himself as he shut off the engine. For a 1967 Chevy Impala, his car ran suspiciously well. He was a decent self-proclaimed mechanic, but he’d had very few problems with the car. Amazing gas mileage, too. ‘Shit,’ he muttered as he opened the door.

‘What’s wrong?’ Sam asked as he got out, pushing Gabriel off his lap. Gabriel tumbled to the ground and yawned loudly as he turned human, sitting cross-legged in the dirt.

‘I think I’ve been using magic to keep my car running,’ Dean replied as he stretched.

‘And green lights,’ Sam added. He smiled at the confused look Dean gave him. ‘You _never_ get stuck at a red light.’

Dean groaned as he opened the door to the backseat and stared down at the sleeping cat. ‘Hey, wake up,’ he said, nudging at Castiel.

Castiel uncurled and stretched out his legs. He blinked up at Dean and sat up, waiting patiently for Dean to continue speaking.

‘We’re gettin’ lunch here, and I don’t think they allow pets.’

Castiel hopped out of the car and took his human form. He met Dean’s gaze for a while then looked away. ‘You don’t need to go out of your way for me,’ he said softly.

Dean rolled his eyes and put his hand on Castiel’s shoulder, forcing him to turn towards the diner. ‘No, Cas. You’re getting fed. I’m mad at you, but I won’t have you starving. Or living off mice,’ he said before Castiel could argue.

Castiel nodded and allowed himself to be guided to the diner.

.-.-.-.-.

‘I hate motels,’ Gabriel said grumpily as he entered the room, looking around in distaste. ‘I mean, who decorated this place?!’ He stumbled as Dean pushed him out of the way.

‘We’re just stayin’ the night,’ Dean said, tossing his bags onto a bed. He frowned as Castiel jumped onto the bed and began circling a pillow. ‘And what do you think _you’re_ doing?’

Castiel stopped and looked up at Dean. He cocked his head to the side as he sat on the pillow, wrapping his tail around him. His fur bristled when Dean pointed at the floor and snapped. He huffed and hopped off the bed. When Dean’s back was turned, he quickly transformed and grabbed the pillow off the bed, hugging it tightly to his chest when he caught Sam’s eye.

Sam shook his head in amusement and headed to a small desk that was placed next to the television. When he looked back at Castiel, the familiar was missing.

‘All right, you mangy beast, let’s learn some magic,’ Dean said, locking the door. He turned around to find Sam and Gabriel staring at him. ‘What?’

‘No! This is good!’ Sam said, Gabriel nodding.

Dean pulled a face and scanned the room. ‘Good. Right. I’m doing this for you, Sammy.’

‘What? Why?’

Dean quickly glanced back at Sam as he crossed the room. ‘I won’t let Ruby win. And if I gotta learn magic to protect us, then…fine. I’ll learn it.’ He sighed as he looked behind the TV. ‘Cas?’

‘Mreow?’

Kneeling on the floor, Dean looked under the bed to find Castiel curled atop a pillow directly in the center. ‘You… Nevermind,’ he said. ‘You can keep the stupid pillow. C’mon. You better start teaching me magic.’

Castiel flattened his ears and cautiously crawled out from under the bed. He wrapped his tail tightly about him as he came to a stop in front of Dean.

One moment, there was a cat, the next, Dean had to lean back due to Castiel’s proximity. ‘So where so we start?’ he asked, crossing his arms. ‘Floating paper or something?’

Castiel stepped back and held out his hands. The old grimoire appeared and he tilted his head.

‘Castiel,’ Gabriel started, but closed his mouth at the stern look his brother gave him.

‘Levitate _this_ ,’ Castiel said.

Dean stared at the book. ‘Uh… Shouldn’t I start with something lighter?’

‘The weight doesn’t matter,’ Castiel explained. ‘A feather would require the same magical energy as a boulder.’

‘Uh-huh…’ Dean chewed on his bottom lip. It was all about visualizing and wanting, right? Well, he had a pretty good imagination. And he wanted desperately to keep Sam safe. In order to keep Sam safe, he would need to learn to lift the book with his mind. He took a slow breath and uncrossed his arms. He tried to imagine picking up the book. How much it weighed. The texture of worn leather cover. The metal clasps on the edge.

He could feel…something. It felt like his fingers were asleep, light, itching tingles running along them. He could have sworn that beneath the sensation, he could feel the leather of the book. He reminded himself of Castiel’s original description of practicing magic: remove that feeling. So, he moved past the feeling of the cover and tried to focus on the act and want of lifting the book. He felt the dry surface of the pages brush along his fingertips.

The grimoire flew open, its pages flipping wildly from one side to the other.

Dean jumped back a step. ‘Woah! Wait! S-stop!’ he shouted, and the book stilled, a page sticking upright, poised to fall. He let out a shaky sigh and glanced up at Castiel, who was smiling broadly at him, his cheeks lightly tinged in pink.

‘That was amazing,’ Castiel breathed. With that one small spell, he could feel Dean’s magic running through him, and it was wonderful. He knew it from the moment he first saw Dean, but to actually see the demonstration? After so many years of waiting, he finally found the witch from his premonitions. A witch that complimented his own soul.

‘What are you talking about? I didn’t do it right!’ Dean argued.

‘That doesn’t matter!’ Castiel replied. ‘You—’

‘You _shouldn’t_ have been able to do that!’ Gabriel interrupted.

‘What?’ Dean asked, confused.

‘No, it’s—’

Gabriel pointed at Castiel, cutting him off again as he stood and advanced on his brother. ‘Shut up! You’re fucked up for even _pulling_ that kinda stunt!’

‘ _What_ kind of stunt?’ Dean asked, his voice even and cold. He threw Castiel a glare, and Castiel shrank back. ‘I wanna hear it from _him_ ,’ he said, nodding to Gabriel.

Castiel closed the book and hugged it tightly, looking away. He nodded and backed into a corner.

‘Grimoires,’ Gabriel said, ‘especially Cas’s, aren’t susceptible to magic. That’s why Ruby can’t just magic it away. Add on top the fact that he’s bound it to his soul, and it’s one big cluster fuck.’

Dean turned to Castiel. He took in the dejected posture of the familiar and wondered just why Castiel would try and pull something like that. Castiel had looked so happy when Dean actually managed to manipulate the book, but…he had to have known that it was supposed to be impossible. Was Dean more powerful than Castiel had originally thought? Was he just there to protect Castiel from Ruby? He knew that wasn’t right. Part of him just knew it.

But there _was_ a reason for Castiel testing him. Or was it even a test? Was it intended to knock him down a peg? He didn’t think Castiel would do something like that, but that little part that spoke to him told him that Castiel was very capable of behaving in such a way.

‘Okay, fine,’ Dean said after a moment of silence. ‘And what’s _your_ side?’

Castiel glanced up at Dean. He looked around the room, finding all sets of eyes on him, waiting. ‘I-I… I knew you’d be able to… But I couldn’t say anything. If you knew that you weren’t _supposed_ to be able to move it, then…you wouldn’t have been able to. You would have blocked yourself from doing so,’ he quietly replied. ‘I wanted you to see that you could do it before you limited your own ability.’

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away. ‘Okay, fine. I get that. But _why_ even have me do it?’

Castiel fingered the corner of the book. ‘Because I saw you…’

‘You said that before,’ Sam said. ‘What do you mean? Like, saw the future? I thought no one could do that?’

‘The future isn’t set,’ Castiel explained, slowly gaining back his confidence. Dean was no longer glaring at him, and his brother only looked slightly annoyed with him. ‘So, no. No one can actually _see_ the future. Not entirely. It’s always shifting and changing, but premonitions and shadows are readily available. I’ve seen futures where I’m by Ruby’s side. I’ve seen myself alone and locked away in that house. I’ve seen… I saw myself by Dean’s side. Happy.’

Castiel quickly glanced away from Dean, a light blush on his cheeks. ‘All futures are possible, but impossible. When I…when I saw you in the house…’ He looked back up at Dean and gave him a small smile. ‘I knew which future I wanted.’

Dean looked away and scratched at the back of his neck. ‘Okay, ah…’ He let his eyes drift back to Castiel, who was still staring at him. ‘Look, I…’ He trailed off, not really sure what to say. He was flattered that Castiel had chosen a future with him, but it was a little creepy. Besides, he was still mad at Castiel. With that thought, he remembered why he was mad.

‘I guess you need to show me how to ward this place,’ he eventually said.

Castiel nodded eagerly. ‘Of course!’ He held the book out to Dean. ‘A simple spell to dissuade ill-intent should be enough to start with,’ he said.

Dean carefully took the book from Castiel and opened it. ‘Er…that’s all well and good, but uh…’ He flipped through a few pages, shaking his head.

‘What’s wrong?’ Sam asked, coming up from behind Dean. He looked over Dean’s shoulder and thinned his lips at the scrawling lines that littered the pages. Dean would pause occasionally on pages with drawings of ornate sigils and monstrous beings. ‘Uh…nevermind.’

Gabriel sniggered as he plopped into a chair. ‘C’mon, Dean-o. Don’t tell me you can’t read your own grimoire,’ he teased.

Dean threw Gabriel a dirty look before turned his attention back to the book. Unlike the last time he had seen the pages, he couldn’t make out one word of it. It wasn’t written in a language that he had ever seen. ‘I give up,’ he said, closing the book. He tried to hand it back to Castiel, but the familiar pushed it back into his hands. ‘Cas…’

‘No,’ Castiel insisted. ‘It’s yours now. I can protect it for you when it’s not in use, but right now, you need it. I’ve organized it quite well. You simply need to know what you want.’

Dean sighed and rolled his eyes. ‘I liked magic better when it just happened… All right, uh…’ He stared at the book’s cover. Maybe it would be like the door in the house or the door when he had his hands full. He just had to tell it to open. ‘Hey, Grimmy,’ he said, ignoring Gabriel’s laughter and Castiel’s offended stare, ‘I need an easy spell for keeping evil witches out…uh… In English?’

He felt a pulse of power run over his hands and barely managed to keep hold of the book. Cautiously, he opened it to a random page and stared at the result.

_Warding Against Uninvited Guests  
Ingredients: small bowl of blood, candles, feathers, paper, ink_

‘Uh…thanks…’ The pages of the book glowed lightly. ‘Shit. Is this thing alive?’

‘In a way… It’s bound to me, so…it’s an extension of my soul,’ Castiel replied.

‘Which is why we can’t just toss it in the fire,’ Gabriel added.

‘To damage the book, you’d be hurting _me_ as well.’

‘Right. Okay, so uh… Where do I get a bowl of blood?’ Dean asked as his eyes ran over Castiel.

‘You’ll just be writing inscriptions on the door and windows with this spell,’ Castiel explained, ‘so a simple cut across your palm will do. Or Sam’s. If he feels so inclined.’

‘I don’t think the motel would like us writing on the door…in blood,’ Sam said uneasily.

‘That’s what the other ingredients and actual spell are for,’ Castiel said.

‘And where am I supposed to get feathers from?’ Dean asked. He looked over the instructions, and it seemed easy enough. Write on the wall, wrap a feather in a written spell, ignite, recite, then let the smoke cover the spell on the wall.

Castiel crossed the room and unlocked the door. ‘You begin the spell, and I’ll get you the feathers,’ he said.

‘Wait, uh…what about uh…bird-you?’ Dean asked.

Castiel frowned in confusion. ‘You can’t use parts of a familiar in any spellwork. The ingredients would be tainted. I won’t kill anything,’ he promised before leaving the room.

Dean sighed and looked up at Sam. ‘Wanna help?’

Sam looked to Gabriel for approval and received a shrugging nod. He smiled at Dean, and the two set to work on setting up the warding.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel eyed a pigeon from his perch in a nearby tree. His thoughts kept drifting back to Dean. Back to Dean’s magic flowing through him. It had felt so wonderful. But it was only a fraction of what Dean was capable of. And what would it feel like if Dean hadn’t shut him out? He should probably speak with Dean on the matter of their connection.

Castiel swooped out of the tree and gently caught the pigeon in his talons. He collected three feathers before taking off, leaving the panicked bird behind. As he circled the roof of the motel, he wondered how he should break it to Dean. He would be risking more inadvertent punishment if he told Dean. Or worse, Dean would knowingly keep the link they shared closed.

He landed on the gutter. If he didn’t tell Dean soon, then Dean would be even angrier at him for keeping it to himself for so long. He hopped off the roof, changing halfway down. He landed heavily on the pavement and turned to find the motel room door open with Dean staring at him. He silently held out the feathers to his witch. ‘After this,’ he said hesitantly, ‘I would like to speak with you about how your magic affects me.’

‘Uh, sure,’ Dean replied as he took the feathers and stepped aside, letting Castiel in. ‘Sam said it gets you guys off or something?’

Castiel’s face scrunched in confusion. He looked to Sam and Gabriel. Sam was grimacing at his laptop, avoiding looking up, and Gabriel was sniggering, trying not to look at Castiel. He came to the conclusion that Dean had to be talking about something sexual in nature for such a reaction. ‘Only if you wish it to,’ he easily replied, earning a strangled laugh from Gabriel.

Dean faltered as he walked past Castiel. ‘Uh…are we talking about the same thing?’ he asked.

‘You’re a powerful witch, Dean,’ Castiel said. ‘Your magic can command so much power, and I have a lot of power. It is an enjoyable feeling when your magic travels through me.’

‘Uh…’ Dean swallowed at the intense stare he was receiving.  There was a light blush on Castiel’s cheeks, and Dean could feel his own face heating up at the implications. ‘I uh… I should finish this spell,’ he said, waving the feathers back and forth.

Castiel smiled and crossed the room. He leaned against the wall and motioned for Dean to go ahead. ‘I’ll be here if you have any questions.’

‘Or if you fuck up and summon a monster,’ Gabriel added.

Dean rolled his eyes as he began wrapping the individual feathers in the spelled strips of paper. ‘Right. Whatever.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Castiel said soothingly. ‘I can handle anything you may inadvertently summon.’

Dean paused in what he was doing and looked at Castiel. He couldn’t tell if the smile he was receiving was teasing or reassuring.

As Dean lit the first feather, he could feel a numbness travel him. It ran along his spine and down the length of his arm and into the feather. He tried to ignore the feeling as he recited the spell from the book. Fortunately, Gabriel had helped him earlier with the pronunciation. After he completed burning the third feather, Dean fell forward. He barely managed to catch himself on the towel rack in the bathroom.

He was in a daze as he felt someone help him into the main room and onto the bed. ‘Wha…’

‘What happened?’ Sam asked.

‘I’m sorry!’ Castiel said as he paced back and forth behind Sam. ‘I didn’t think this would happen!’

Dean’s eyes focused on Castiel. ‘Didn’t think _what_ would happen?’ he mumbled.

‘It’s not his fault,’ Gabriel said wearily. ‘ _I_ didn’t think you’d have any problems, either. You’ve been using your magic on your own with no problem… Maybe…’ He looked between Dean and Castiel. ‘Wait, did he cut you off?’

Castiel reluctantly nodded, causing Gabriel to slap Dean upside the head. ‘You idiot!’

‘Ow! What?!’ Dean shouted as he glared up at Gabriel.

‘You can’t go cutting off your familiar! You ground him as much as he grounds you. You just used all of your own power on a basic spell!’ Gabriel huffed as he turned away, placing his hands on his hips.

‘What are you talking about?’ Dean asked. He leaned back on his elbows and let his head fall to his shoulder. He was having trouble staying awake.

‘It’s what I wanted to discuss earlier,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘Remember when you could hear me in my other form? Our connection was steadily building, allowing for such communication. But…then Ruby happened. You’re…punishing me.’

‘Yeah,’ Dean slurred. ‘By not letting you sleep on the bed.’

Castiel shook his head. ‘I don’t believe that you’re even aware that you’re doing it.’

Dean shook his head, attempting to stay awake. ‘So…whatever I’m doing…if I turn it off, this’ll stop?’

‘You’ll need to rest either way, but for future spell casting…it would be to your benefit to reestablish the connection,’ Castiel explained.

Dean stared at Castiel. He just couldn’t focus on what the familiar was saying. ‘Connect what? Huh?’

Castiel bit his lip and shrugged at Sam and Gabriel. ‘I can’t do it from my side, and I don’t think…’ He glanced back at Dean and sighed. ‘In his current state, he wouldn’t be able to initiate any mental contact.’

Sam sighed as he helped Dean further onto the bed. Within seconds, his brother was asleep. ‘So…what happened?’

Gabriel scratched his head as he looked at Dean. ‘Short answer? I guess you could say he blew a fuse. Shorted out. Familiars are…surge protectors? At least when you’re starting out. After you understand and can control your own power, we provide you access to more power, but _you_ make the initial connection with your own.’

‘What about _me_?’ Sam asked, gesturing to himself. ‘You guys said I have no power, so…can _I_ short out?’

‘That would be impossible,’ Castiel replied. ‘You aren’t able to inadvertently perform magic like Dean. There is no power to lose control of.’ He looked down at Dean’s sleeping form in thought. ‘Perhaps he would benefit from a crystal for channeling…’

Gabriel ignored Castiel and gave Sam a lecherous grin. ‘Like I said before, there are plenty of ways to get the initial power for the connection…’

Castiel rolled his eyes as Sam coughed and looked away, shifting uncomfortably. ‘If you kept one of your batteries on hand, that might provide enough energy to tap into Gabriel’s power.’

‘Spoil sport,’ Gabriel pouted.

‘I don’t know what that means, but…a kiss may also work,’ Castiel replied before transforming into the small, black cat. He hopped onto the nightstand next to Dean’s bed and curled up.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel lay in the middle of the floor, writhing and moaning, begging for more. Dean blinked at the scene before him, his hand was raised, reaching out, but something was blocking him from touching Castiel.

‘Please, Dean!’ Castiel moaned, his voice full of arousal.

Heat pooled in pit of Dean’s stomach. He pushed forward, but he still couldn’t reach Castiel. ‘Cas…’

‘Make it stop…’

Dean pulled back sharply. ‘C-Cas? What’s wrong?’

One moment, Castiel was on the floor, the next, Dean found himself being slammed against a wall. He gasped as Castiel growled into his ear.

‘ _You_ are!’ Castiel hissed before attacking Dean’s mouth.

Dean eagerly kissed back, moaning as Castiel ground against him. ‘Fuck… Don’t stop…’

Just as the words left his mouth, Castiel was gone. A cruel laugh came from across the way, and his eyes landed on Ruby. Just beside her stood Castiel, his expression indifferent and his hand raised. Neither looked at Dean. He frowned, and his eyes drifted down to where the pair were looking.

Sam lay motionless at Castiel’s feet, a pool of blood slowly spreading.

Dean bolted upright, gasping for air.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean looked wildly around the room. The flickering light from the motel sign cast a bright strip across his bed and onto Sam’s. He stared at Sam, watching the soft rise and fall of his chest. Sam was alive. Sam was okay and still in one piece, currently being snuggled by a half-naked Gabriel. He sighed in relief and turned his gaze to the rest of the room, trying to find Castiel.

After his dream, he needed some form of comfort, and he knew Castiel would be more than willing to give it. Even if Castiel had been the one of the antagonists in his dream.

‘Cas?’  he whispered.

A black mass poked its head over the edge of the bed. ‘Mrow?’

Dean scooted off the bed, grabbing his jeans from the foot. He nodded to the door as he pulled his jeans and shoes on.

Castiel looked from Dean to the door. He didn’t think Ruby would attack just yet. She would want them to stew in their own paranoia first. So they should be safe. He quickly made his way to the door, taking on his human form halfway. Silently, he eased open the door and stepped outside, Dean right on his heels.

‘That is so freaky to watch,’ Dean said as he led the way to the road.

Castiel frowned in confusion. ‘What is?’ he asked.

‘When you change,’ Dean replied. ‘I’d expect you to…shift or something, but you…you’re just… I dunno. One thing, then pow! Different thing. It’s hard to watch.’

‘It’s a body stored on a different plane of existence,’ Castiel explained. ‘I’m simply trading one out for another.’

Dean nodded. He supposed it made sense. ‘Right…’

‘Did you want to talk about something?’

‘Yeah… You. Kinda…’ Dean looked away from Castiel’s curious stare and rubbed his neck. The memory of Castiel moaning and pushing him against the wall was still fresh in his mind, as was the image of Sam. ‘Let’s say I had a dream…and uh… Well…you were in it, and so was Ruby.’

Castiel stiffened. ‘You had a premonition?’

‘I don’t know. Might just be stress gettin’ to me,’ Dean admitted. ‘She was laughin’ and you were just…there. And it…it looked like you had killed Sam.’

Castiel breathed in sharply. ‘I would never harm Sam,’ he said quickly. ‘The only instance in which I would do something like that would be if…if he were to try to harm you. That would never happen, so…’

‘But it’s not impossible,’ Dean cut in.

‘Nothing is impossible,’ Castiel said. He could just barely feel Dean. ‘But I swear…for as long as you are my witch, I will never bring harm to you or your family.’

Dean’s stomach clenched. He believed Castiel, but if his dream was anything to go by, then Castiel would no longer be his familiar. ‘Would there be any reason for you to leave me?’ he asked. ‘I…I remember you saying something about me cutting you off…punishing you. Would you leave because of that?’

‘I’ve left for less,’ Castiel admitted. ‘But, in this case, no. I’m willing to be patient with you, Dean.’

Dean hugged himself and sighed, staring up at the night sky. ‘So, how do I fix it?’

‘You just have to be open with me. Accept me as your familiar. You were doing well before,’ Castiel said as he looked across the road. He jumped as an arm fell across his shoulders. His heart sped up, and it took everything he had not to look up at Dean. He didn’t quite trust himself. Not with Dean’s fingers lightly brushing against him, their sides pressed together. He felt their bond flare up, and his knees went weak. He collapsed against Dean, breathing harshly and clutching desperately to Dean’s shirt for support.

Dean chuckled as he helped Castiel to stand. ‘Okay…so I guess I’m doing something right?’

‘Y-yes!’ Castiel pressed his forehead against Dean’s chest, enjoying the physical contact. It was better than magic flowing through him. He wanted more. How could he get more? He raised his head and caught Dean staring at him, a slight smile on his lips. They were such nice lips. Nicely shaped. A pleasing color. They probably tasted…

Castiel pulled back sharply, grateful for the darkness hiding his blush. ‘I’m sorry! I was not expecting… I thought you would be more gradual.’

Dean watched Castiel carefully. For a moment, he thought the familiar was going to kiss him. He couldn’t decide whether or not that would be a bad thing. Castiel was attractive enough. He had an endearing way of tilting his head when he didn’t quite catch onto something. But…what if it led to the rest of his dream?

‘You’re worried,’ Castiel said once he managed to collect himself.

Dean coughed and turned away. ‘Er… I just…my uh… My premonition…thing.’

‘I would never stand by Ruby’s side. Not by choice,’ Castiel said. ‘I can assure you of that. Especially now, since you’ve voiced your concern.’

‘What if she’s…I dunno… What if she takes me out of the picture?’

‘I won’t let her.’

Dean glanced over his shoulder at Castiel. ‘What if…what if there were some other things that happened in my dream? Like, I uh…hooked up with someone? If it comes true, then…does that mean the rest will?’

Castiel came up beside Dean, his shoulder barely grazing Dean’s. ‘Not all premonitions are connected. I’ve had them where I’ve been Ruby’s witch, then immediately after…still in the house as it rotted around me, or where I’ve stood over her dead body. Just because you have multiple premonitions in one dream, doesn’t mean they’re all connected.’

Dean’s worry eased slightly, and he wrapped his arm around Castiel’s shoulders. He raised his brow at the soft moan that came from Castiel. For a moment he thought it was just his imagination, but Castiel pressed against him, letting out a louder moan. ‘You uh…you okay there?’

Castiel nodded happily, in spite of Dean’s teasing amusement. ‘Familiars are…very physical. We’re highly sensitive to touch. Especially when our witch is properly bonded to us.’

‘Yeah, Sam said something about that… Is that why Gabe’s always trying to get into Sam’s pants?’ Dean asked as they began to make their way back to the motel.

‘Why would Gabriel want to wear Sam’s…oh. You mean… I…um… Gabriel has always been quite…fond of his witches,’ Castiel managed to say. ‘Is that…all right?’

‘It’s Sam and Gabe’s business,’ Dean replied. ‘They wanna get all freaky under the sheets, I won’t judge. Unless I hear animal noises. Then I am so judging. And getting a different room. On the other side of town.’

Castiel laughed, and his smiled brightened as Dean’s joy filled him. ‘I like it when you’re happy,’ he said softly.

‘Huh?’

‘Through our bond…it feels nice,’ Castiel said shyly. ‘It shouldn’t be too much longer until you can feel my own emotions.’

‘You can feel…uh…’ Dean paused just outside the door to the room. In an instant, he was completely aware of just how tightly he was holding onto Castiel. How his hand had moved from the familiar’s shoulder to his waist.

‘I’m your familiar, Dean,’ Castiel said in a rush. ‘Our bond is meant to be one of the most intimate connections you can form with another living being. Please…please don’t shut me out again. I’d rather feel your hate and annoyance than…than nothing.’

Dean kept his breathing even. ‘So…Sammy and Gabriel have this thing going, too?’

‘Yes. Gabriel said he’s been teasing Sam through their bond.’

Dean opened the door and entered the motel room. So, Sam and Gabriel already had a two-way radio going in their heads. ‘How much…’

‘I’m quite good at interpreting emotions and abstract thought,’ Castiel quietly admitted. He made his way to the chair in the corner and sat down. ‘I should have said something sooner, but I…I didn’t want you to—’ His chin was lifted slowly by Dean, and he stared up at his witch. He was frozen to the spot under Dean’s gaze, and he was having difficulty reading Dean’s emotions in that moment. His own were confusing enough.

‘Thank you for telling me,’ Dean said, letting his hand fall back to his side. A smile tugged at his lips as Castiel’s head tilted. ‘C’mon. Bed’s more comfortable than the chair.’

Castiel stared blankly as Dean turned and headed to the bed. He watched as Dean pulled off his shoes and jeans. When Dean stared at him expectantly, Castiel gave a confused squint. He gasped lightly when Dean patted the bed and waved him over. He stumbled out of the chair and up to the bed. Awkwardly, he sat on the edge of the bed and wrung his hands together. He should probably take on his feline form. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Dean’s hand touched his thigh. Castiel’s head flew up, and he stared into Dean’s eyes.

‘You can…sleep however you want tonight,’ Dean said before hefting himself fully onto the bed. He got under the sheets and settled down for the rest of the night. The bed shifted as Castiel shed his clothing, and he felt Castiel slowly lie down next to him, curling against his side. Castiel’s head came to rest on his shoulder, and a hand was carefully placed on his chest above his heart.

That night, Dean slept the best he had in a very long time.


	10. Chapter 10

Castiel stared at the scene before him. Dean stood over Ruby, grinning maniacally as he sent bursts of magic through her body. ‘Dean…she’s dead,’ Castiel heard himself whisper. He looked up to meet Dean’s eyes and took a step back at the hungry look. ‘What did you do?’

‘What had to be done,’ Dean replied. His smile softened and he held his hand out to Castiel.

Castiel cautiously approached Dean. He placed his hand in Dean’s and gasped as he was pulled in tight. ‘You shouldn’t have killed her,’ he said.

‘I had no choice,’ Dean said as he began kissing Castiel. ‘Did it for you. For us.’

‘For Sam?’

Dean paused and gave Castiel a curious look. ‘Why are you asking about Sam?’ he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. ‘You gonna leave me for him?’ he growled as he tightened his grip on Castiel.

Castiel cringed and shook his head. ‘N-no…’ He reached up and placed his hands on either side of Dean’s face and forced himself to give a comforting smile. ‘He has no power of his own. I want _you_ , Dean. Only you. I _need_ you.’

Appeased, Dean went back to exploring Castiel’s mouth.

Castiel had a hard time keeping up, gasping and grunting as Dean pulled at his clothes and jerked him around. He gasped when Dean’s hand reached down the front of his pants and began stroking him. He felt confusion as he tried to wake up, but couldn’t. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure. He turned his head so he could see.

Sam stood nearby, shock clearly written on his face. He swallowed as his eyes locked with Castiel’s.

‘Wake up,’ Castiel said.

Sam jerked awake with a gasp. He sat up, panting for breath, vaguely aware of Gabriel holding onto him and speaking softly. He looked over to the other bed to find Dean sitting up with a concerned look on his face. Behind him sat Castiel, staring with narrowed eyes. He looked down at his lap and shook his head. ‘I-I’m fine,’ he said hoarsely.

‘He was dreamwalking,’ Castiel said as Dean got out of the bed.

Gabriel whined and sat behind Sam, hugging him to his chest. ‘Shoulda come into my dream, Sammy,’ he said. ‘Much more entertaining than anything Cas could come up with.’

Sam swallowed and nodded. ‘I… What _was_ that?’ He looked back up at Castiel, and Castiel looked away.

‘A premonition. It’s not set…it’s just…a possibility. A strong one,’ Castiel said quietly.

‘No… That can’t be right,’ Sam denied. ‘That wasn’t Dean. That wasn’t… Dean’s not like that! Dean wouldn’t… God, the way he was acting…no. That wasn’t him.’

‘What wasn’t me?’ Dean asked, crossing his arms. He looked between Sam and Castiel for an answer.

Sam took a deep breath and looked up at Dean. ‘In…in Cas’s dream…premonition… You were…’

‘Drunk on my power,’ Castiel finished. ‘It’s what happened to Ruby. It’s happened before. Only…they didn’t have the transference spell. I was able to…wait them out.’

Dean slumped back onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. ‘Shit…so you’re a bad acid trip waiting to happen.’ He dropped his hands and looked over his shoulder at Castiel. ‘How do I avoid that? And…is there _anything_ else I need to know?’

Castiel didn’t raise his eyes. He gave a half-hearted shrug and shook his head. ‘There’s no stopping it,’ he whispered.

‘Then what I saw…’ Sam trailed off, looking from Dean to Castiel. ‘Cas…’

Castiel looked up at the worry in Sam’s voice. He blinked at the concern in Sam’s eyes. Concern directed at him.

Dean looked between the two. ‘What? What happened? What did I do?’

Sam grimaced as he looked at Dean and quickly looked away. ‘You killed Ruby with magic, and then… With Cas… Well, you weren’t gentle.’

Dean breathed in sharply and stared at Castiel. He remembered his own premonition and being in the front seat for a ride wasn’t ready for. ‘Cas…what… You okay?’

Castiel met Dean’s stare. He had been expecting annoyance from not being completely honest, but, instead, he only felt concern for his wellbeing. ‘Y-yes. Of course. Even if I were to die in a premonition…I would remain unharmed.’

‘I mean mentally.’

‘I’ve experienced worse,’ Castiel admitted. ‘I…I’ve had premonitions since I first came to this plane… I’m used to them.’

Dean reached over and placed his hand on Castiel’s knee. ‘So…what you guys saw… Is it gonna happen?’ he asked quietly.

‘I don’t know,’ Castiel whispered. ‘My power is a mix dark and light… When you finally tap into it, you…you will experience a high like no other.’

‘Is there anything I can do to avoid your premonition?’ Dean asked carefully. He rubbed Castiel’s knee, hoping there was something he could do. The look Sam had given him… He had never seen his brother so disturbed.

Castiel hesitantly placed his hand over Dean’s. ‘When it comes time, don’t fight the dark or it _will_ consume you. Accepting both sides equally will keep you in balance. You’ll be…well…’

‘High as a kite,’ Gabriel cut in.

Castiel nodded. ‘Yes, but you’ll be more in control of your actions. If, somehow, you only tap into the light, then you will be flooded with positive energy.’

‘Like you just took some _really_ good ecstasy,’ Gabriel clarified. He placed a kiss on the back of Sam’s neck as he sent mental reminders of which side his power lay.

Dean nodded to himself. ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark, huh? Right. So…how did Sam end up in _your_ dream?’ Dean asked.

‘Because he’s big ball of talent,’ Gabriel said, placing another kiss on Sam’s neck.

Sam rolled his shoulders, but Gabriel moved in sync with him. ‘Okay…yeah. I wanna know, too.’

Gabriel sighed and rested his chin on Sam’s shoulder. ‘Short and easy version? It’s an easy trick that requires very little power. Judging by the alarm clock, I’d say you did it about an hour ago.’

Sam and Dean looked at the flashing alarm clock between the two beds. It read the time as five minutes to one in the morning. Sam looked past Dean to see sunlight streaming in through the curtained window. ‘ _I_ did that?’ he asked, his voice a mix of awe and trepidation.

Gabriel nodded proudly. ‘It’s about all you’ll be able to do in your sleep. With some practice, you should be able to control it. Pick whose dreams you pop into. Right now, you’ll only be able to hop into the heads of those physically close to you.’ He nuzzled his nose against Sam’s hair and smiled widely as he breathed in deeply. ‘We could practice. You could come visit me in my dreams.’

Sam frowned as Gabriel lightly stroked his chest. ‘Uh, Gabriel?’ He shifted uncomfortably as Dean stared at them, brow raised in question. ‘Gabe?’

‘Mmhm?’

Sam looked at Dean helplessly, blushing brightly as Gabriel went back to kissing his neck.

‘Need us to go?’ Dean asked.

‘There’s no need, it’ll wear off soon enough,’ Castiel said.

Sam and Dean both looked at Castiel, and Sam urged him to explain.

‘You used magic,’ Castiel said simply. ‘Even if it was inadvertent and a small amount… Your bond with Gabriel is strong. And growing stronger. The first few times you use your magic will have quite the effect on him.’

‘What about you?’ Dean asked. ‘You didn’t throw yourself at me yesterday.’

Castiel ducked his head and blushed. ‘I know how to restrain myself…besides…our bond wasn’t exactly stable. It dulled the effects.’

Dean shifted his gaze from Castiel back to Gabriel, who was happily maneuvering around Sam to settle on his lap. He immediately imagined Castiel and himself in a similar position. Only, he would probably be participating a lot more than Sam was. He looked back over his shoulder when Castiel let out a cough.

Castiel quickly glanced up and looked away, feeling his whole body heat up. ‘Y-you needn’t worry about me,’ he said hurriedly. ‘I can control myself, and if need be…I can syphon off excess energies. Gabriel can’t.’

‘Because he’s all familiar,’ Sam said, cradling Gabriel in his arms. The familiar had finally calmed down and was cuddled against Sam’s chest.

‘I’d like to be _all familiar_ with your body,’ Gabriel mumbled.

Sam gave a long sigh and ruffled Gabriel’s hair. ‘Maybe later.’

Gabriel’s eyes flew open, and he stared up at Sam. ‘Really? You, me…glorious amounts of sex?’

‘Er…’

Dean rolled his eyes and stood up. ‘We’ll get separate rooms in the next town,’ he said, earning a delighted laugh from Gabriel.

After a few minutes, Sam was finally able to free himself from Gabriel’s hold. When he escaped to the bathroom to get ready, Gabriel made his way to Castiel’s side.

‘Thanks for covering,’ Gabriel said.

Castiel nodded wordlessly as he did his tie.

‘Covering for what?’ Dean asked.

The pair of familiars spun around to face Dean. Castiel bowed his head in guilt, and Gabriel grinned. Gabriel’s clothes materialized, and he shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I uh…can actually control myself pretty well,’ he admitted.

Dean crossed his arms and sighed, shaking his head. ‘I won’t lie for you.’

Gabriel shrugged. ‘Not asking you to. I got what I wanted.’

‘To molest my brother?’

‘No. Guaranteed alone time with Sam. Think of it this way: you’ll be getting alone time with Cas,’ Gabriel said with a wink before walking off to let himself into the bathroom.

Castiel busied himself with pulling his jacket on and tugging on the sleeves. ‘Gabriel likes to tease,’ he said quietly. He slowly raised his eyes to meet Dean’s. ‘Just because he wishes to pursue a sexual relationship with his witch, doesn’t mean we all do.’

‘And what do _you_ want?’ Dean asked, searching Castiel’s eyes for a clue.

Castiel tilted his head and felt a rush of affection coming from his witch. He remembered his premonition. Dean killed Ruby with magic. For him. It wasn’t necessarily connected, but…he should probably tread lightly. He didn’t need another dark witch clouding his thoughts for a century.

He opened his mouth to reply, and all of Dean’s focus went to his lips. ‘I don’t know,’ he said with a light gasp. He sucked in his lips as he stared up at Dean. He had meant to say something, anything, to dissuade Dean’s affections. ‘Dean, I…’ He trailed off as he caught wisps of Dean’s thoughts. All centered around helping Castiel to make up his mind.

Castiel held his breath, feeling Dean’s thoughts drift between kissing him and not kissing him. He didn’t know how he felt when Dean decided against it and turned away to finish packing, leaving Castiel alone and uncertain.


	11. Chapter 11

‘Maybe…we should split up,’ Dean said suddenly.

They had been on the road for a good six hours. So far, no one had said anything about where they were headed or what they would do when they got there.

Sam ran his fingers through Gabriel’s fur as he stared out the window at the passing scenery. They were just a couple hours away from Chicago. ‘We’re not gonna leave you two to deal with Ruby alone,’ he said. ‘We’ll do this as we originally planned, and…figure it out as we go.’

‘Sam, she’s not after _you._ You should get away while you have a chance. We can keep going. Head past Illinois… I can drop you off at Bobby’s,’ Dean said, glancing at Sam. ‘She knows where we’re headed… She can _track_ me. Sammy, we’re only inviting trouble if we stick to this.’

‘Actually…I believe we should continue with Sam’s agenda,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘She may be expecting us to deviate. We could…start off as if nothing is changing, then…go off course. Get out long enough to eat or stay the night, then backtrack. It could buy us some time.’

There were a few minutes of silence, and Sam nodded as Gabriel stared up at him. ‘Gabriel thinks she might be expecting that…’

Dean rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed groan. ‘Damned if we do, damned if we don’t,’ he muttered. ‘This whole thing sucks.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Castiel whispered.

‘We’ll figure it out,’ Dean said, catching Castiel’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

.-.-.-.-.

It was just to the south of Chicago that the small group found a reasonably priced motel. Gabriel was a bundle of energy as he rocked on his heels, waiting for Sam to unlock the door to their room. He threw Castiel a wide grin before following Sam. Castiel let a smile slip when he heard Sam yelp and the door slam shut.

When he entered the room he would be sharing with Dean, his eyes fell upon the two beds. ‘Um…which one…’

Dean looked up from his bag and followed Castiel’s gaze. ‘Oh. Well, whichever,’ he said.

Castiel nodded silently before switching to his cat form. He hopped onto the closest bed and sat in the center of it. He stared at the door as he waited for Dean to finish unpacking.

There was a knock on the door before Sam let himself into the room. ‘Hey, we’re gonna run across the street for some food. Want anything?’ he asked.

‘The usual,’ Dean replied. He looked to Castiel, surprised to find his familiar as a cat. ‘I guess…same for Cas.’

Sam nodded and turned to leave. He paused in the doorway and looked back at Dean. ‘Don’t forget to ward your room,’ he said. ‘Gabriel thinks _we’ll_ be fine, but…I’d feel a little safer if you warded ours, too.’

‘Sure thing.’ Dean sighed when Sam shut the door, and he turned to face Castiel. ‘I guess I should get to it then, huh? I’ll need that book.’

Castiel blinked up at Dean, and the book appeared between them. ‘ _Be careful_ ,’ Castiel warned with a meow.

‘Oh, hey! I can hear you again,’ Dean said. ‘That’s a good thing, right?’ He picked up the grimoire and flipped through the pages. The writing was back to the language he had no hope of ever learning.

‘ _Yes, it is. You should have no problems performing your magic, now_ ,’ Castiel replied.

‘Yeah… And what about you? You said you’d be little more…uh… _affected_ ,’ Dean said as he closed the book. ‘English, please.’

Castiel thumped his tail against the bed a couple times and looked away. ‘ _I’ll be all right. You needn’t worry about me. I won’t...do anything unbecoming._ ’

For a moment, Dean wished Castiel _would_ do something ‘unbecoming.’ He reopened the book to find the pages written in English. He casually flipped through, a few words catching his eye. ‘What was that about not making love potions?’

Castiel looked up and flattened his ears. ‘ _I-it’s a collection of spells and rituals…and potions… Just because I’ve written it down, doesn’t mean I’ve ever practiced them. Not all of them are mine. If…if you ever create a spell, I will add it to the grimoire._ ’

Dean nodded and went back to perusing the pages. ‘Longer life…youth… Cool. Turn a mouse into a chicken?’ He glanced at Castiel, feeling a touch of embarrassment that wasn’t his own.

‘ _I was hungry…_ ’

Dean sniggered and closed the book. ‘Not judging,’ he said. ‘Okay… I want something that’ll keep evil witches out of my hair. Preferably something that doesn’t require blood.’ He reopened the book to a page labeled ‘All Purpose Barrier.’

‘Uh... Okay… This doesn’t help me,’ Dean said, shaking his head. ‘I can’t…build an impenetrable wall with my mind.’

‘ _Envision it_ ,’ Castiel said as he got off the bed. He returned to his human form and stood next to Dean, looking at the spell that Dean had pulled up. ‘Imagine constructing a wall of stone or metal… A steel fence. A locked door. Anything that you can imagine and you control the access to. I prefer a locked gate, myself.’

Dean pulled his lips tight as he stared at the spell. ‘Even if I _could_ do that…I can’t pronounce these words.’

‘They’re there as a guide,’ Castiel explained. He waved his hand over the page and the words to the spell changed. ‘There. That should help.’

‘From stone unseen, I cast this spell… From those against me, protect us well… Oh, God. It _rhymes_.’ Dean groaned as he looked up at the ceiling. ‘Guess the cartoons were right…’

‘It helps you to concentrate,’ Castiel bit out. ‘You don’t really think about the actual words when it is constructed in a rhyme. Once you get better, you will no longer need words for simple spells. You will only have to want it and envision it.’

‘Yeah, ‘cuz that worked out so well with lifting this thing,’ Dean said sarcastically. ‘I imagined it, imagined what it would feel like, then tried to move past the feeling. Like you said to do. Didn’t work out right.’

Castiel placed his hand on Dean’s arm and smile encouragingly when Dean looked at him. ‘You overthought it. Yes, you need to move past the feeling of what you wish to control, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to _ignore_ it. You just cannot linger on it. You need to _let go_. Concentrate on the _act_. What it is you wish to accomplish. Let your magic guide you,’ he said softly. He squeezed Dean’s arm. ‘I’ve felt your magic. I know you can do this. I have no doubt in your abilities. You just need to believe in yourself as well. Remember, you cannot doubt that something will not bend to your will.’

Dean breathed in slowly as he stared at Castiel. He could feel Castiel’s honesty and belief. ‘I guess I can try this wall spell, first,’ he said. ‘Just imagine a sturdy wall, right?’

Before Castiel could reply, there was a loud explosion and the door to the room was blown off its hinges. Castiel moved to stand in front of Dean and was hit in the chest by blast of energy. He cried out and fell forward.

‘Cas!’ Dean knelt next to Castiel, looking for any damage.

Castiel shuddered and forced himself to his hands and knees. He grabbed grimoire and shoved it against Dean’s chest before pushing Dean away. He spread his arms and the dust that had fallen to the floor cleared between himself and Dean, leaving a clear one-foot path from one side of the room to the other.

Dean scrambled to his feet, leaving the book abandoned on the floor. He rushed forward, but hit an invisible wall, just where the dust had cleared. ‘Cas…what…?’ He looked up when he heard laughing.

‘Really, Castiel? Do you think that’ll stop me?’ Ruby said as she entered the room. She carefully stepped over the door and made her way to Castiel. ‘You know as well as I do, you won’t be able to protect him.’

‘I won’t let you hurt him,’ Castiel said.

‘I don’t really think I need to,’ Ruby said. ‘I’ve been keeping an eye on him, and… Oh, my poor, sweet, Castiel… How can you stand it?’ She knelt beside Castiel, pointedly ignoring Dean’s shouts for her to leave Castiel alone. ‘He doesn’t use his magic. It must be painful. Knowing that it’s there, waiting to be used. Waiting to run through you. But…he constantly denies you.’

‘Dean denies me nothing,’ Castiel spat out.

‘Except what you want,’ Ruby said quietly as she cupped Castiel’s cheek. ‘And I know what you want, Castiel.’ She sent a small bit of magic into Castiel and smiled broadly at Dean as Castiel closed his eyes and moaned softly.

Dean kicked at the barrier, helpless to do anything for Castiel. ‘Get away from him, you witch!’ he shouted.

Ruby laughed as she grabbed Castiel by the nape of the neck. ‘That’s your best insult? _You’re_ a witch, too, you idiot!’ She stood and brought Castiel up to his knees. ‘And you’re not much of one… You don’t even know how to use your familiar. They’re tools. They do our bidding, and we reward them.’

‘He doesn’t need any kind of reward from the likes of you,’ Dean said as he paced back and forth. He needed to get past the invisible wall. How was he supposed to do _that_? He didn’t even know how to make a wall himself!

Ruby just smiled in response and sent another wave of her magic through Castiel, causing the familiar to moan. ‘Just listen to that… Oh, they like being touched…but touch them with your magic? Putty in your hands,’ she said as she let go Castiel.

Castiel whimpered at the loss of physical contact and slumped over as more magic coursed through him. ‘Yes…’ It had been so long since he’d had a witch’s magic flowing in a steady stream through his body. ‘More! Please…’

Ruby gave Dean a smug smile. ‘Don’t look so sick,’ she said, reaching down to pull Castiel up by the hair. When he was once again on his knees and staring up at her, she let go. ‘Doesn’t that feel nice?’ she asked Castiel. She slapped him and laughed as his groaned. ‘So pathetic! If you want more, Castiel, then dismiss his claim on you.’

Castiel stared up at Ruby. ‘His claim…’ Ruby nodded at him, and he searched himself for the claim she spoke of. He felt it burning brightly within and followed the claim to its source. He turned his head, and his gaze landed on Dean, standing behind the barrier he had erected. He licked his lips and blinked slowly as a rush of lust hit him through the claim. That was a new feeling. So different from anything else he had ever felt. ‘Please… I want more,’ he begged.

‘Then dismiss the claim,’ Ruby growled. She kicked Castiel in the ribs, sending the familiar to the ground. She sent a short burst of magic into Castiel, then another, and another. ‘Dismiss his claim, and I’ll give you more than you could ever want!’

Castiel writhed on the ground, gasping and moaning. ‘Please! Please, oh, please, oh, please! Ah!! Mmm…’ The feelings of desire and lust coming from the claim were growing stronger. His witch liked him like this. Liked seeing him beg. A wave of magic hit him, distracting him from his witch’s need. He didn’t want the magic. He wanted the new feeling. ‘Please…Dean…’

Dean stared at Castiel in shock. His hand was raised and pressed firmly against the barrier. It was just like in his dream. He swallowed, reminding himself that just because one premonition was happening, not all of them would. Maybe…maybe the other two were possible outcomes from his current situation. If he didn’t get to Castiel in time, Sam would end up dead.

‘Please,’ Castiel choked out in a sob. ‘Make it stop!’

Dean was shaken from his thoughts. He needed to get to Castiel, but there was a wall in the way. Castiel preferred gates. Gates could be unlocked. Given Castiel’s probable age, it would be an easy lock to pick. He held his hand against the barrier and closed his eyes.

He could just make out the shape of ornate wrought iron gates. They were similar to the ones that stood in front of the old house he had found Castiel inside of. He frowned as he pushed out the sounds Castiel was making and Ruby’s shouting. He concentrated on the feeling of sliding his slim tools into the keyhole. Finding each pin with his pick and pressing it up. He gasped as the barrier fell and he stumbled forward, his weight no longer supported.

Ruby’s head shot up and she stared in shock. ‘H-how… That’s _impossible_!’ she shrieked.

Dean caught his balance and, in a few short steps, was in front of Ruby. He pulled his arm back and punched her hard. ‘I don’t care!’ he shouted back.

Ruby fell back, clutching her nose. She glared up at Dean and muttered a few words before vanishing.

Dean’s legs shook as he stared at the spot where Ruby had been. Soft gasps drew his attention away and to where Castiel was lying, still writhing and moaning softly. ‘C-Cas… Hey, you oaky?’ Dean asked as he knelt next to his familiar.

Castiel opened his eyes and stared up at Dean. He let out an obscene groan when Dean stroked his hair.

Dean snatched his hand back as if burned. ‘Woah, Cas, uh… Castiel! Hey, c’mon, man…’

‘More,’ Castiel hissed as he pulled at his tie and clothing. ‘I want more… Please!’

‘I…I’m sorry,’ Dean said. He hoped that physical comfort would be enough to ease Castiel back from the magic high he was riding. He could just feel a constant need and want coming from Castiel and it was overwhelming. He tried to concentrate his own feelings and emotions on being calm and steady as he pulled Castiel into his arms and hugged him close.

Castiel growled and huffed as he dug his fingers into Dean’s arms. ‘Nooo! I want more! Give me more! Give it back!’ he wailed, kicking out his feet. The wonderful feeling was gone. He begged and squirmed, hoping it would kick his witch back into wanting him again. ‘Please,’ he quietly sobbed as he body began to feel tired from his exertions. ‘Felt so good…I want more… Please, Dean…’

Dean petted Castiel’s hair and shook his head. ‘I don’t know how,’ he said. ‘And even if I did…I don’t think that’d be a good idea right now.’

‘What the hell happened?!’ Sam ran into the room and tripped over the fallen door, Gabriel hot on his heels. He managed to catch himself and looked around the room in shock. ‘What… Dean, what happened?! Are you okay?’

Dean looked up at Sam and back down at Castiel. ‘Ruby happened,’ he replied. ‘I’m fine, but Cas…she blasted him with her magic, and…I dunno how he’s doing.’

Gabriel clung onto Sam’s arm and ran his eyes over the room. ‘She’s gone, right?’

Dean nodded. ‘Yeah. She hightailed it after I punched her.’

Gabriel let go of Sam and made his way to the forgotten book on the floor. He picked it up and brought it over to Castiel, setting it in his brother’s arms.

Castiel hugged the book tightly to his chest, gasping. ‘My grimoire!’ He stared up at Gabriel miserably. ‘I…I…’

‘Shh. It’s okay,’ Dean said, still stroking Castiel’s hair.

Castiel shifted his stare to Dean. With the book back in his possession, he could think a little more clearly. And he could read Dean a lot better. Dean had no idea what Castiel was begging for. He blushed brightly. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s okay,’ Dean said, helping Castiel into a sitting position. He kept a hand on Castiel’s back and placed his other hand on Castiel’s thigh. ‘Next time, we’ll know that we need to set up some wards or a barrier or something straight away.’

Castiel nodded and dropped his eyes to his lap. ‘How did you get through?’ he whispered.

‘Your barrier? I picked the lock,’ Dean replied. He grinned at Castiel’s shocked expression. ‘You might wanna think of upgrading your locks. It was actually kinda easy.’

‘You…you broke through my… _my_ barrier?!’ Castiel’s mouth hung open as he stared at Dean. No witch had ever been able to break through his barrier spells. No matter _how_ distracted he was. He knew Dean was powerful, but…

‘Yeah, I just figured it went the same way as making one,’ Dean explained, feeling everyone’s eyes on him. ‘Locked gate…pick the lock. It…made sense.’

Castiel nodded dumbly, unable to argue.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam, Dean, and Gabriel sat on a bed as they watched Castiel repair the damage that had been done to the room. As the last splinter was replaced on the door, Dean stood and approached Castiel.

‘Are you sure you should be doing magic-magic?’ Dean asked as he came up beside Castiel and examined the door. He let out a low whistle, impressed with Castiel’s work. The door looked as if nothing had happened.

‘It’s all right,’ Castiel replied. ‘Ruby knows where we are, so we aren’t exactly giving away our position. She’ll be busy preparing for the next time. I would say that we have at least a day to work on our own plan.’

Dean ran his hand through his hair and shifted uncomfortably. ‘That’s not enough time,’ he muttered.

‘You’re doing better than I could have ever imagined,’ Castiel said as he turned to face his witch. ‘You have power, talent…imagination… All you need to learn is control.’

‘You should probably start practicing,’ Sam said. He nodded to Gabriel and stood. ‘I’ll see if I can’t dig up any information on Ruby.’

As Sam left the room, Gabriel lingered behind. ‘Uh, Cas? Do you… You wouldn’t happen to know of any way to guarantee that Sam would end up in _my_ head if he decided to dreamwalk again, would you?’

Castiel sighed and walked over to the nightstand between the two beds and picked up the notepad and pen that laid there. ‘Yes, but… It _will_ require him to use magic. Where will he get the energy?’ he asked as he scribbled a symbol and a short set of words.

Gabriel shrugged and pulled a pair of C batteries from his pocket. ‘I figured we could try the battery route again.’

Castiel nodded and tore of the top sheet of paper from the pad. ‘Have him draw the sigil on both of your foreheads. It doesn’t need to be blood. A pen will work just fine. When he manages to tap into some power, have him recite the spell then kiss your sigil,’ he explained.

‘Hey, lucky you,’ Dean said as he passed by. ‘You get a kiss outta the deal.’

Gabriel grinned stupidly as he left the room.

Castiel turned to watch Dean change clothes and quickly looked away when Dean glanced over his shoulder at him. He didn’t understand the jealousy that Dean felt for Sam and Gabriel. If his witch wanted the same thing, then why didn’t he do something about it? Or at least _say_ something? With a sigh he set to work on undressing. When he pulled off his undershirt, an interested spark slammed into him through his connection with Dean.

It was the same feeling he felt before. The lust…the need… Jerkily, he began undoing his pants and licked his lips self-consciously. He let his pants pool around his legs on the floor and gave an experimental stretch, raising his arms above his head and arching his back. The feeling intensified and Castiel couldn’t stop the small gasp that escaped his lips. Embarrassment seared into him, and the bathroom door slammed shut.

Castiel peeked over his shoulder, finding himself alone in the room. With a sigh, he shucked off his underwear and slipped into one of the beds. He moaned quietly as a mix of desire and annoyance drifted along the connection. He turned onto his back and closed his eyes. If he could just fall asleep, he wouldn’t have to deal with the mixed emotions.

.-.-.-.-.

The moment Dean shut the door, he leaned against it and exhaled loudly. What was he supposed to do? Castiel was amazingly hot, and the way he moved… He would have thought it was on purpose, but all he could glean from his familiar was curiosity. And, at that moment, a hint of frustration.

‘Fuck you,’ Dean muttered under his breath as he turned on the shower. As he waited for the water temperature to adjust, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed with both himself _and_ Castiel. He sighed as stepped into the shower. He was already half-hard from watching Castiel strip and desperately wanted to jerk off. But how could he take care of himself without sending all his feelings to his familiar?

As he soaped up, he wondered if he could try creating a barrier. Something that would let Castiel know that he was still there, but wouldn’t let him ‘hear’ what he was doing. ‘Like a window,’ Dean muttered to himself. Castiel would still be able to see him through their connection, but all communication would be silenced.

‘ _You’re more than welcome to try_ ,’ Castiel’s voice echoed in Dean’s head.

Dean stiffened, hyper aware of his surroundings.

‘ _You were…thinking about your…window idea rather loudly_ ,’ Castiel’s voice explained. ‘ _I would encourage you to try, but… Why do you require the privacy?_ ’

Dean ducked his head under the stream of water, closing his eyes. He tried to explain how he wanted to jerk off without a familiar in his head. He laughed at Castiel’s embarrassment and stuttered apologies.

After a moment of silence, Dean stood straight and tried to imagine everything that went into creating a window. He could feel a tug at his core and a light tingling running up his spine as he thought about the wall that would surround the window. He had installed a window before, so he ran through the motions in his head. Then, he added a second pane. Just in case.

He opened his eyes and looked around. He had no idea of whether or not it had worked, so he hopped out of the shower and opened the door to the bedroom a crack. ‘Hey, did it…uh…’ He trailed off as he caught Castiel’s wide-eyed expression and swallowed as his eyes traveled down.

The blankets were pooled around Castiel’s hips, and his hands were lightly clasped on his lap. He nodded at Dean and offered a small smile. ‘I can still feel you, but I can’t sense what’s going on,’ he replied.

Dean nodded and shut the door. As he stepped back into the shower, he let himself relax with a long sigh. With Castiel’s appearance still fresh in his mind, it was hard to keep his thoughts away from wondering what it would be like to hold Castiel in his arms. He already had an idea of what Castiel sounded like.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel sighed happily when the door shut. Dean’s spell might not have required much magic, but it was complicated enough to make up for it. And with their bond strengthened, Castiel could feel every little intricacy that Dean had unwittingly woven into the spell.

He eyed the door for a moment before letting himself go. If his witch was busy pleasuring himself, then _he_ was permitted to thoroughly enjoy Dean’s magic as it coursed through him.

.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel entered the room he was sharing with Sam to find his witch shirtless and rummaging through a bag. Through their bond, he could feel that Sam was searching for something. Something to help with more searching… ‘Adapter,’ he said when his eyes fell on the closed laptop resting on one of the beds. ‘Front pocket under the candy corn.’

Sam frowned as he retrieved the power cable. ‘Why…?’

Gabriel waved the paper he carried and laughed. ‘Uh…well… I wanted to know if licking it would be the same as sticking a fork in a socket,’ he replied.

‘Are you okay?!’ Sam asked as he came up to Gabriel. He cupped Gabriel’s face and didn’t miss it when Gabriel leaned into the touch. ‘Did it hurt? _Can_ you get hurt?’

‘I’m fine. Really. I was just curious.’

‘Curious about being electrocuted…’ Sam dropped his hands and shook his head.

‘Yeah. Fork has a lot more bite!’ Gabriel’s smile faded at Sam’s concerned stare. ‘I promise I’m okay.’

Sam reluctantly nodded and looked down at the paper that Gabriel held. ‘What’s that?’

‘Oh! This,’ Gabriel said as he held the paper out to Sam, ‘will help with your wandering habit. If you dreamwalk, you’ll end up in _my_ dreams. A lot safer than ending up in some stranger’s dreams. Or, God forbid, _Ruby’s_.’

‘Sure. How’s it work?’

Gabriel held up an eyeliner pencil. ‘Draw the symbol on our foreheads, then recite the spell. It’ll last until you wipe it off,’ he explained.

Sam took the pencil and looked at the neatly drawn sigil and precise script on the piece of paper. ‘May as well get it out of the way,’ he muttered. He took the paper and headed to the bathroom. ‘At least it should be easy to draw…’

He started with a circle and worked his way from the bottom and around, pausing every now and again to remind himself to draw in reverse. When he finished, he turned to face Gabriel with an uncertain smile. ‘Well?’

‘Looks good. Now, me!’ Gabriel closed his eyes as Sam traced the sigil onto his forehead, carefully taking his time.

‘So…where am I going to get the power to do this?’ Sam asked as he put the finishing touches on the sigil.

Gabriel pulled the pair of batteries from his pocket and offered them to Sam. ‘Figured we try this again,’ he replied. He dropped them when Sam leaned down and kissed him. ‘S-Sam?’ His voice wavered as he spoke.

‘Or…we could try this out,’ Sam said before kissing his way down to Gabriel’s neck.

‘Oh! Uh…are you…sure?’ Gabriel asked. He bit his tongue and rolled his eyes. ‘Of course you’re sure… Why the sudden change in—oh! Oh, yeah… Right there… You kinda blew me off earlier.’

Sam laughed into Gabriel’s neck. ‘Jumping me before I get a chance to relax isn’t the best way to…lure me in,’ he said as he guided Gabriel to the empty bed.

The backs of Gabriel’s knees hit the edge of the bed and he half-fell. He stared up Sam, his witch towering over him. He smirked and scooted back as Sam crawled onto the bed and cornered him against the headboard. He could feel excitement and a small amount of uncertainty coming from Sam. He pushed forward and caught Sam’s lips with his own as he eased his shirt off.

‘Probably a bad time to ask…but how does this work, exactly?’ Sam asked breathlessly as Gabriel tugged on his belt.

‘Just let it happen,’ Gabriel replied. He nipped at Sam’s neck as he managed to undo the belt buckle. ‘Your body and magic will know what to do.’

‘More foolproof than the—ah!—the batteries?’ Sam groaned at the release of pressure as Gabriel unzipped his jeans.

Gabriel nodded and palmed Sam’s erection, a thin layer of plaid fabric separating them. ‘Definitely. And, it’s more fun!’ He gasped as Sam pushed him back down and pulled his legs up. His thighs pressed tight against Sam’s hips, and he moaned loudly as Sam ground against him.

‘Definitely more fun,’ Sam agreed. He paused as he felt a tingling sensation settle over him.

Gabriel pulled Sam down and kissed him. ‘Don’t stop,’ he quietly urged. ‘It’s normal. You’re…oh…accepting the… Ah!! C-charge! Keep mmm!’

Sam tugged on Gabriel’s pants, and the familiar squirmed to help remove them. ‘Commando, huh?’ he asked with a grin. He let Gabriel sit up and pull at his own jeans, feeling his desire intensify with every second and every inch of skin that Gabriel exposed and kissed. ‘I feel… Oh… I want this, but…even more than before…’

‘My fault,’ Gabriel sang as he fully removed Sam’s jeans. ‘Our connection… Both want it… Really…really want…need…’

‘Don’t move. I’ll grab some…’ He was about to pull away when he could feel the reassuring sense that everything he needed was right there. He looked down at Gabriel questioningly.

Gabriel lightly crossed his arms above his head as he lay back down. ‘No need. I come pre-lubed.’

‘…What?’

Gabriel sighed and hooked his legs back around Sam’s hips. ‘One of the perks of being a familiar,’ he explained. ‘I can make my own clothes…create my own furniture…lube myself…’

‘That’s…useful,’ Sam replied. ‘Weird. But useful.’

‘You’ll have to stretch me, though. Thought you might enjoy doing that yourself.’

‘What about—’

Gabriel snapped his fingers and a condom packet dropped on his chest. ‘I’m clean, but if it makes you feel better, there ya’ go.’

.-.-.-.-.

Dean dried off and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. How was he going to explain what he was feeling to Castiel after he broke down the barrier? Maybe he should talk to him first. If neither could read the other’s thoughts, then they would at least be on even ground. He opened the door and stepped into the bedroom. And immediately wanted to run right back into the shower and pick up where he left off.

In the center of the bed was Castiel, moaning softly and writhing. He had managed to kick the blanket down to his knees, and Dean had an eyeful of Castiel’s half-erect cock.

‘Er…C-Cas?’

Castiel turned onto his side and lazily looked at Dean. ‘Mmm…your magic feels nice,’ he said in a dreamy voice.

‘Magic… Oh!’ Dean closed his eyes and concentrated on throwing open his constructed window. The moment he felt the walls come down and his connection with Castiel flair up, Castiel gasped and groaned louder than before. He opened his eyes to find Castiel’s back arched and his mouth open in a silent scream. He bit his lip as his breath caught at the sight.

‘More!’Castiel begged. The wonderful feeling of want and need was back. All directed at _him_. ‘Please…Dean…’ He spread his legs and the feeling became stronger.

‘Fuck.’ Dean turned his back on Castiel and tried to calm himself. Behind him, Castiel’s moans and cries for more became more and more desperate.

‘Dean? Dean, please? I..I want… I need it… Please! Give me more?’

‘I can’t,’ Dean replied shaking his head. ‘I wouldn’t know where to start, and I don’t think… This isn’t right!’ He looked over his should, and a strangled noise caught at the back of his throat.

‘Please?’ Castiel asked sweetly as he stroked his cock, not breaking eye contact with Dean. ‘I’ll be good… You can do whatever you like with me.’

Dean turned and moved towards Castiel. He stopped himself and raised his hands in front of himself. ‘No. No, I…I can’t. I… Fuck. I want to,’ he said, and Castiel’s smile widened. ‘Damn sure you _know_ I want to. But I… You’re not thinking straight!’

‘I’m your familiar. It’s what I’m for. You’re supposed to take advantage of what I have to offer,’ Castiel said as he sat up. He ran his hands over his chest and moaned as Dean’s lust enveloped him. ‘Don’t you want what I have to offer?’

‘Let’s talk about this when you’re _not_ high on magic, okay?’

Castiel whine pathetically. ‘Dean…I _want_!’

‘Castiel, no,’ Dean said sternly. He put everything he had into feeling calm and in control, hoping it would help Castiel.

Castiel pouted and let himself fall back onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling as waves of calmness washed over him. He blinked slowly and curled on his side, facing away from Dean and blushing brightly. ‘I…I-I’m sorry,’ he mumbled. He curled tighter when he heard Dean come closer. ‘I thought I could…enjoy your magic without restraint.’

Dean laughed softly as he sat on the edge of the bed. ‘Right. Me jerkin’ off in the shower…you jerkin’ off out here. Guess I just finished first.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Castiel repeated. He chewed on his lip as he stared ahead. It would seem that his witch was still unaware of just what he was begging for.

‘No, it’s okay,’ Dean assured. ‘Do uh… Do you need to…take care of yourself?’

Castiel looked over his shoulder in confusion. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘You want some privacy, so you can get off?’

‘Get off? Get off the bed? I’m embarrassed, not shy.’

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. ‘Do you want to have an orgasm?’ he asked in annoyance.

‘Oh! N-no. I’m quite fine, thank you. I think. Um…I don’t know!’ Castiel said, turning his face away from Dean again as he felt his cheeks heat up.

‘You’ve never…’

‘What?! No! I mean, yes!’ Castiel sat up and pulled the sheets onto his lap as he hunched over, staring helplessly at Dean. ‘Yes, I’ve… I was quite thorough in the exploration of my vessel in the beginning,’ he quietly explained. ‘I know what…how… My body is quite responsive to external stimuli.’

‘I bet. Anything else I should know?’ Dean asked, his mind staring to drift where he didn’t want it going.

Castiel stared at Dean. He caught the occasional thought. Muted feelings of the lust and need he felt before. His eyes narrowed minutely. Without giving into Dean’s magic, he could control himself much better. So he could tease Dean a little. ‘I am…flexible?’ he offered. ‘More so than the average human male.’

‘Good to know,’ Dean replied in a choked voice.

‘I’ve upset you,’ Castiel said, not letting his expression betray his thoughts.

Through their bond, Dean could feel nothing but honesty. And hints of mischief. He let out a short laugh and shook his head. ‘No. I’m just…thrown off. You’re…you’re something else, Cas.’


	13. Chapter 13

Sam found himself in a night club. Or a forest. He couldn’t be certain where the forest began and the club ended. A group of club goers brushed past him in slow motion, glitter flowing off them in a rainbow of light. Something bumped into his leg and he looked down to find a dodo bird glaring up at him. Around its neck was a thin, golden collar.

The dodo hopped and bumped against his leg, franticly flapping its small wings. It squawked and knocked its beak against Sam’s knee.

Sam looked around in confusion before kneeling down to pet the bird. ‘Hey, there… I guess I’m dreaming.’

‘Sure are,’ Gabriel said from behind Sam. ‘And sorry about her… She’s one of my vessels.’

‘You have a _dodo_ for a vessel?’ Sam said as he picked up the bird and stood. He turned to face Gabriel and frowned at his familiar’s appearance. ‘What…what are you wearing?’

  
  


Gabriel was wearing a plain tunic with a white robe that had intricate sigils woven throughout. A golden band sat on his head with chains of gold and jewels hanging from it. On his wrists and ankles were shackles of gold. Thin chains led from his wrists to the back of the thin collar around his neck. Sam recognized it as the same collar that the dodo wore.

Gabriel glanced down and frowned at himself. ‘Uh… Ceremonial robes?’

Sam could just make out a faint glow that came from Gabriel. It was more noticeable around the shackles and collar. ‘You’re…you’re literally chained to your body…’

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. ‘We have to be.’

Sam frowned as he leaned forward to get a closer look at the gold collar. There was a familiar signature engraved into the metal. ‘What does… That’s _my_ name!’ Sam gasped.

‘You have one, too…’

Sam’s hand flew to his neck, and he could feel a metal collar of his own. He stared down at Gabriel as the familiar lightly stroked his arm.

‘It’s okay. Trust me,’ Gabriel said soothingly. ‘It’s just the bond between us. All witches and familiars have it. You can see it ‘cuz you’re in my dreamscape.’

‘I didn’t see one on Cas,’ Sam pointed out. ‘Is that because…’

Gabriel laughed as he took the dodo from Sam’s arms. ‘No, it’s because you’re not his witch. Dean would be able to see Cas’s, but not mine.’

Sam nodded in understanding as he looked around the club-forest. ‘So, this is what you dream about?’ he asked.

‘Not really,’ Gabriel replied with a shrug. The dodo vanished from his arms, and he stretched before crossing his arms, the chains clinking lightly. ‘This is just left over from the other night. For the most part, familiars are lucid dreamers. We construct our own dreams. I’ve just been watching old movies while I waited for you.’

Sam marveled as the scenery changed and they were surrounded by Roman architecture. ‘You can pull up anything?’ he asked.

‘Pretty much. It’s easier if it’s something I’ve seen in person,’ Gabriel explained. ‘How about a Roman bath?’

‘So you could pull up…anything from wherever and _whenever_ you’ve been?’ Sam asked, grinning.

‘Well, duh. Wait…’ Gabriel edged away from Sam.

‘Were you ever in Pompeii? Did you meet Julius Caesar? Cleopatra? Oh! Oh, oh, oh! Elizabeth Bathory!’ Sam frowned as Gabriel was enveloped in a bright glow.

The glow exited through Gabriel’s chest and swirled around his feet, forming into the fox that Sam had grown familiar with. The fox’s golden collar glowed brightly as it warily eyed Sam.

‘Gabriel…’ Sam knelt down and held out his hand, but Gabriel quickly bounded away, disappearing into a crowded market place that began forming. He sighed as he let his hand drop.

He fell over as Gabriel’s human vessel clutched onto him, smiling happily. ‘Er…I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I got a little excited.’

Gabriel’s smile didn’t waver as he settled his head onto Sam’s shoulder.

‘You’re…not even in there, are you?’ Sam asked as he stood, the familiar easily moving with him.

‘ _Just enough to recognize you as my witch_ ,’ Gabriel replied, his voice echoing in Sam’s head. ‘ _I’ll show you to the amphitheatre. You should get a kick outta that._ ’

As Gabriel led Sam through the crowd, Sam would catch sight of the little fox darting between legs. ‘Really, I’m sorry,’ he said softly. ‘It’s just…you’re this window into the past, and… I can actually _see_ these things with my own eyes!’

The Gabriel that clung to Sam’s arm smiled up at him before tugging him toward another street.

Sam’s jaw dropped as the amphitheatre Gabriel had mentioned came into view. ‘Amphitheatre… It’s the _Colosseum_!’ He had never seen it in person. It was amazing and…different. ‘It’s intact!’

‘They didn’t _build_ it broken,’ Gabriel replied.

Sam looked down to find the glow had returned to his familiar’s human form. ‘You’re back,’ he said with a relieved smile.

‘Yeah… Figured you could use some commentary for what you’re about to see,’ Gabriel said. ‘Look, I can’t pull up a historic figure for you to talk to. I can just pull up memories. All of this?’ He waved his hand around to the people that passed by. ‘This is made from my time in Rome. If you ask Cas really nice, he might let you check out what he’s seen. He was in Egypt for his first tour.’

‘Tour?’

‘You really think we can be banished forever? Cas has been banished before, but that was on purpose. He had a ten-year-old girl for a vessel. She volunteered because she was a seer. Guess Cas thought his next vessel wouldn’t have any side effects,’ Gabriel explained. ‘ _I’ve_ always skipped town when a witch got it in their head to try to banish me. I _like_ this vessel. Michael and Lucifer are running around somewhere…in _proper_ vessels this time. Thank God.’

‘I thought they were killed or something!’

‘No, just banished until someone summons a familiar. Granted, it’s a lot harder to banish a familiar with a witchy vessel. Cas has narrowly escaped _that_ noose a few times,’ Gabriel explained as he led Sam up to the Colosseum. ‘Wouldn’t be a problem if witches still summoned familiars like they used to.’

Sam looked down at Gabriel. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Where are you gonna find a volunteer, Sam? Someone that’s willing to die. Willing to give up their body,’ Gabriel said. He pulled up short as a horse and cart crossed their path. ‘The latest witch hunts? Those took their toll on us. Witches are in hiding, familiars are in limited supply, and summoning a new one? Almost out of the question. People just don’t throw themselves down to be sacrificed anymore. Even before all the witch trials… Religions against witches weren’t good for business.’

‘So…you guys are slowly dying off…’

Gabriel shrugged. ‘Not really. It’s just a lot harder to come across a willing vessel. Last familiar that I heard of being summoned? Her witch works at a loony bin.’ He sighed and hugged himself. ‘We’ve been reduced to taking over suicidal crazies.’

Sam pulled Gabriel into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. ‘It’s better than nothing. I mean, what would the incentive be for someone that didn’t want to die?’

‘Paradise. One way ticket to all the love and peace you could want. We trade places,’ Gabriel said with a sigh.

‘Wait, you’re giving up… _Heaven_?’ Sam asked in disbelief.

Gabriel looked up at Sam with a frown. ‘Taking a break is more like it,’ he replied. ‘You guys can appreciate it better than we can.’

‘You’ve never suffered…’

‘We don’t feel loss, either. When you die, you’ll pass on, but…I _know_ you’ll be there. I know what happens after you die. I know where you end up. I know I’ll see you again. Hell, _you_ guys are built for reincarnation,’ Gabriel explained. ‘Kinda hard to mourn someone when you see it as…as if they just moved away and forgot to write.’

Sam nodded in understanding. ‘So…the afterlife…Heaven…my mom would be there?’

‘Unless she’s stuck as a ghost, but you can fix that, so…yeah.’ Gabriel leaned into Sam. ‘Now, let’s go watch gladiator’s kill each other!’

.-.-.-.-.

Dean stared down at the bed beside him. Curled against him was a very human, very naked, Castiel. ‘Are you awake?’ he asked.

‘I am now,’ Castiel mumbled. ‘I’m more comfortable when you’re lying down.’

Dean hesitated before lying back. He stiffened when Castiel’s arm came to rest across his chest. ‘I uh…I think I remember asking you _not_ to sleep like…this.’

‘I must have changed in my sleep,’ Castiel replied with a yawn. ‘I’m a little more susceptible to your desires while I sleep.’

‘My…’ Dean coughed to cover his embarrassment. ‘So…did you do this with any of your other, uh…witches?’

‘Sharing a bed in my human form was not seen as proper,’ Castiel groggily replied. ‘And they did not give off the same feelings as you do.’

Dean’s heart sped up, and he could feel his cheeks burning. ‘W-well… That doesn’t mean you have to…uh…do this…’

‘Go back to sleep, Dean,’ Castiel said as he soothingly rubbed Dean’s chest. In his half-awake state, he shamelessly cast a small spell, slowly guiding Dean to sleep. He snuggled closer as Dean’s breathing evened out.

When Dean next awoke, he was startled fully awake by the sight of Castiel propped up on one elbow and staring intently at him. ‘W-what?’ he stuttered. Along their bond, he could feel curiosity and irritation.

‘You have an attractive face,’ Castiel replied.

Dean blushed at the bluntness of Castiel’s statement. ‘Uh…thanks?’ His eyes followed the line of Castiel’s body, and he bit off a moan as his familiar twisted his hips to give Dean a better view. ‘Cas… You don’t…’

Castiel sighed and pushed himself up. With a thought, his clothing materialized, and he could feel Dean’s disappointment and relief sear into him. He glared at the wall as he got off the bed, knowing that Dean was watching his every move. ‘We should probably get moving. Ruby may not make an appearance anytime soon, but we shouldn’t linger,’ he said, keeping the frustration out of his voice.

Wiping a hand over his face, Dean nodded. ‘Yeah…sure. I’ll, uh… I’ll let Sam know,’ he replied as he got up.

Castiel was used to having witches grounded in tradition. Familiars served the purpose of aiding their witch in magic. Companionship only went so far as someone to talk to. A pet to hold. Nothing intimate. Had he known that Dean would have such strong feelings of desire for him, he probably wouldn’t have appeared to Dean. But, then again… Those feelings were so different. Feeling them _and_ magic simultaneously… He watched as Dean pulled a set of clean clothes from the duffel that sat on one of the chairs in the room. He tilted his head curiously when Dean turned to face him.

‘I’m gonna get ready… So, uh… Think you can start packing things?’ Dean asked. He could just make out Castiel’s interest directed at him. More specifically, at watching him getting dressed. At least, that’s what he thought it was. He already knew the familiar could read him like an open book, and he felt like he was at a disadvantage. At Castiel’s nod, he hurried to the bathroom and locked himself inside.

He let out a long sigh and leaned his forehead against the mirror. He had the feeling that Castiel was coming on to him, but he couldn’t tell if Castiel was doing it just to appease him because they were witch and familiar. As he got ready, his mind kept drifting to the night before and how Castiel looked with his legs spread out, inviting Dean to fuck him raw. If Castiel kept it up, he didn’t think he’d be able to hold on much longer. Eventually, he’d give in and use Castiel like the tool the familiar insisted he was. He shook his head. No. He’d dismiss Castiel before he would let that happen. Castiel may be his familiar, but he wasn’t some fuck toy for Dean’s personal enjoyment.

When he finally got himself under control and left the bathroom, he almost regretted coming out. Castiel was stiffly folding Dean’s clothes, his face a bright red.

‘Uh… S-sorry… I, uh…was remembering last night,’ Dean said quietly, trying to look anywhere but at Castiel.

Castiel zipped the duffel bag closed. ‘I know,’ he replied, his voice a little gruffer than normal.

‘Cas, I…’

‘You should let Sam and Gabriel know that we intend to leave soon,’ Castiel said, cutting Dean off.

Dean frowned as he walked past Castiel. He paused at the door and stared at Castiel. ‘You okay?’

‘I’m fine, Dean,’ Castiel replied. ‘I will do my best to keep our relationship purely professional. I did not mean to…to tempt you.’

Dean left the room, not sure what to make of the cold shoulder he was receiving.

The door shut, and Castiel collapsed into a chair. He ran his hands through his hair as he groaned in annoyance. Every last thought that went through Dean’s mind was like a spear into his very core. He had wanted to get Dean to bed him, but Dean had other plans. The more he thought about it, the more his witch’s decision to dismiss him stabbed him in the heart. He just couldn’t understand it. Dean wanted him. He had made it quite clear that he was more than willing to let Dean have him. He would have to keep himself from turning Dean’s thoughts to carnal delights if he didn’t want to end up being dismissed as Dean’s familiar.

He stared miserably at Dean’s duffel bag. As much as it frustrated him, he had been looking forward to experiencing Dean’s lust again.


	14. Chapter 14

Sam lightly stroked the ears of the fox that lay in his lap as he watched the scenery fly by. They had been avoiding staying at motels for four days, sleeping in the car at rest stops when they had the chance. Sam could tell that the stress was beginning to take its toll on Dean. And not just the thought of Ruby. There was something else going on as well. His brother and Castiel were being civil but standoffish toward each other.

Sam’s eyes followed a sign, and he pointed. ‘We should stop here,’ he said. Even though they were essentially on the run, Sam still had a job to do. And the Chain of Rocks Bridge was a Route 66 staple.

Dean nodded as he slowed down for the exit. ‘Everyone that’s leavin’ the car better be human by the time we pull up,’ he said, glancing down at the fox.

Gabriel stretched and yawned before he scrambled into the backseat next to Castiel, who was listlessly staring out the window. In an instant, the fox was replaced by a very tired looking human. He cracked his neck as he looked around. ‘Can we _please_ stay in a hotel tonight?’ he whined.

‘Don’t wanna run the risk,’ Dean replied as he followed the signs leading to the bridge.

Gabriel slouched in his seat as he glared at the back of Dean’s head. ‘It’s the _same_ risk,’ he grumbled. ‘Cas, tell him it doesn’t matter!’

‘I stand by my witch’s decision,’ Castiel replied, not bothering to look at Gabriel.

Gabriel frowned and looked between Castiel and Dean. ‘Okay… But it’s a stupid decision. I mean, she’s gonna find us either way,’ he said. ‘It’d be better if we were at least well rested! Sam’s so tired, he can’t even dreamwalk. And we’ve been trying!’

‘Yeah. I heard,’ Dean growled as he pulled the car into a small parking lot.

Sam ducked his head, blushing. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

‘No. It’s fine. Go and do what you want,’ Dean said. He shut off the engine and leaned back. Hearing his brother and Gabriel go at it the other night had brought up his own thoughts of Castiel. He had been grateful when his familiar had changed into a bird and flew off for a few hours. But when Casitel had returned, his beak and talons were covered in blood. As he thought about it, Castiel hadn’t been eating as much. ‘Cas, _does_ it matter if we stay somewhere?’

Castiel shrugged. ‘The car is warded against tracking, but every time you leave, she knows where you are. She may not be able to enter the vehicle, but she could easily destroy it with you in it,’ he explained. ‘It would be easier for her to damage a car than an entire room. Although… I suppose she could just as easily set fire to a building.’

‘So either get ambushed on the road, or have her smoke us out of a room,’ Dean said. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and looked to Sam for an opinion.

‘A bed, even a cheap one, _would_ be nice,’ Sam said, Gabriel nodding.

‘So that’s two for a motel. Cas?’

Castiel shifted his gaze downward. ‘I stand by my witch’s decision,’ he said quietly.

Dean wrapped his fingers tightly around the steering wheel as he glared at Castiel’s hair in the rearview mirror. He really didn’t like how Castiel was behaving. It wasn’t the same walking-on-eggshells attitude from when they had first met, and it was a far cry from the progress they had made. He knew he wasn’t shutting Castiel out. Far from it. He was completely open to his familiar. But he was having a lot of trouble reading Castiel. More so than usual. And he knew that Castiel was the cause.

‘Motel it is,’ he said eventually. He narrowed his eyes at Castiel’s lack of a reaction.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel lingered around the car as Sam went about his business in interviewing a few tourists and tour guides. Gabriel and Dean were enjoying themselves, completely enthralled and taking pictures of each other in ridiculous poses. Castiel allowed himself a small smile as he watched Dean. Every time Dean turned to look at him, he wiped the smile clean from his face, replacing it with an expression of complete neutrality.

It was getting harder for him to do. Dean was making the effort to leave their connection wide open, and Castiel felt everything. Every little worry, irritation, and desire. And, oh, how Dean desired him. He couldn’t remove his overcoat without feeling Dean’s thoughts drift. And then the other night when Sam and Gabriel were summoning power… He couldn’t handle the urges he felt coming from his witch, and he didn’t trust himself to not try anything. So he had run away and found a rabbit to distract himself with.

It was frustrating to have Dean’s worry constantly lapping at him. He thought he was doing the right thing. He wasn’t tempting his witch. He gave Dean space when the witch’s thoughts became sexual.

Castiel tilted his head up and stared at a cloud passing overhead. A soft feeling settled over him. He squinted at the sky as he placed the feeling as Dean’s attention. Against his better judgment, he closed his eyes and enjoyed Dean’s attraction as it passed over his face and settled on his neck. He carefully picked apart Dean’s thoughts and startled at the image of Dean’s lips pressed against his throat.

He turned sharply to face Dean, ready to give him an annoyed glare, only to find the witch speaking to Gabriel. With a huff, he stalked to the back of the car and leaned against the trunk, crossing his arms as he glared at the gravel beneath his feet.

‘What’s going on with you two?’ Sam asked, making Castiel jump.

Castiel briefly looked up at Sam. ‘I don’t have to explain anything to you,’ he said quietly.

Sam sighed and pushed his hair back. ‘Look, Cas… Whatever’s going on between you two… Maybe it would help to talk about it?’

Castiel remained silent. After a few minutes, Sam turned to leave. ‘Dean is…conflicted,’ he said without looking up. ‘I am simply trying to make things easier for him.’

‘Oh… Well…’

‘You needn’t worry about my premonition,’ Castiel said. ‘Dean’s making the effort to avoid it.’

‘I’m not worried about that,’ Sam said as he leaned on the trunk next to Castiel. ‘I’m worried about _you_.’

Castiel looked up with a confused frown. ‘Me? Why?’

‘Cas, you’re… You seemed happier when Dean was pissed at you,’ Sam pointed out. ‘The past few days…’

‘We ready?’

Sam looked up at Dean as Castiel moved away. ‘Yeah… I guess,’ he said. He watched as Castiel entered the car and went right back to his position of staring out the window. He looked back at Dean to see his brother’s frown. ‘Are you guys okay?’

Dean shook his head as he walked past Sam. ‘I dunno, man. I’m tryin’ to make this work, but it’s just weird,’ he replied. ‘Last motel we were at? He was spread out on the bed, naked, begging for God knows what. Me to sex him up, pump him full of magic, both? He was high as fuck on a…a barrier spell. Next morning, I wake up with him next to me. Naked. Again.’

Sam had trouble keeping the amused smirk off his face. ‘Sounds like you just need to go for it,’ he said. He looked over as Gabriel jogged up to the car, his arms full of snacks.

‘I used your credit card,’ Gabriel said around a mouthful of chocolate.

Sam grimaced before looking back at Dean. ‘So why don’t you?’

‘Why doesn’t he what?’ Gabriel asked, looking between the two witches.

‘Why don’t I throw your brother over the hood of my car and fuck his brains out,’ Dean snipped.

Gabriel’s brows rose in understanding. ‘So _that’s_ what’s going on!’ He looked at the back of Castiel’s head through the rear window. ‘Good question, too. Why don’t you?’

Dean threw his arms up, and he turned away, heading to the driver’s seat. ‘He’s not tool!’

.-.-.-.-.

Three hours on the road, and it was beginning to get dark. Dean knew he should have stopped at the last motel they had passed over an hour ago, but he just didn’t feel like it. He wanted to go a little further. A small, discreet, sign caught his eye. Two more exits, and there would be a motel with a bar. As he pulled onto the off ramp, he had Gabriel return to human form.

Gabriel lightly poked Castiel and signaled to the road ahead with his eyes.

Castiel shook his head slightly. He lifted his eyes as the car came to a stop. ‘Harvelle’s Roadhouse Bar and Motel’ read the sign above the door. There were a few other cars and trucks in the parking lot. The building and many of the cars were warded. ‘I’ll wait in the car,’ Castiel said as Dean opened the door.

‘We’ll be right in,’ Gabriel assured.

Dean shook his head in irritation as he got out and headed to the bar, Sam right behind.

Gabriel shook Castiel’s shoulder. ‘Cas, we gotta go. C’mon.’

‘I’m doing what is proper,’ Castiel replied. ‘He’s completely open to me. I’m keeping an eye him.’

‘I don’t think you understand… If you’re not there, he’s gonna have a bad reaction.’

Castiel turned to face Gabriel. ‘What do you mean?’

‘We’re on a _vortex_. You gotta know what that means for a witch of Dean’s power!’

Castiel’s eyes widened as he sat up straight. ‘But I can’t feel anything.’

‘Neither can I, but I’ve heard of this place,’ Gabriel explained. ‘Hot spot for witches to practice spells. Now, can we go?’

Castiel nodded jerkily and quickly left the car. He could feel a sudden wave a nausea growing stronger as he and Gabriel drew closer to the bar door. He burst through the door to find Dean kneeling on the floor, coughing up blood. ‘Dean!’


	15. Chapter 15

‘He is seriously pissin’ me off,’ Dean growled as he grabbed hold of the door handle. Something called to him, and it felt…odd. Unwelcoming. But something else was lurking around as well, and it was much more enticing.

‘Have you tried _talking_ to him?’ Sam asked. ‘You guys made some great progress, and now you’re back to square one!’

Dean shook his head as he pulled the door open. He glanced back at the Impala and the pair of familiars within. ‘He just brushes me off,’ he said as he walked through the door. The air in the bar was stifling. He heard a voice and looked over. He had trouble focusing on the older woman that had just greeted him. ‘S-sorry, what?’

‘Said “hi”,’ she said. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Dean. ‘Hey…are you okay?’

Everything felt muddy and clear at the same time. There was something just in front of Dean, pulsating with untold power. He wanted to reach out to it. He could feel other points of power around him as well. He looked around the bar. As his vision came back into focus, he could see a few of the patrons staring at him with alarmed expressions. There were a few animals watching him warily as well. He gasped for breath as another wave of power rolled over him. It reached out to him, begging to be used. He could feel it wrap around him, and he welcomed it. He staggered, barely aware of Sam calling his name. He lost his footing and fell forward. His skin felt like it was freezing and boiling away, and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of razors. He coughed and was horrified as blood spilled to the floor from his mouth. It tasted like honey. ‘S-Sam…’

There was a commotion around him, and many voices arguing. There was so much confusion, fear, and anger…and an intense feeling that made him feel drunk. Dean had trouble following what was going on. He knew they were talking about him, trying to figure out what was wrong. They were growing panicked as they shouted at each other, and the floor beneath his hands and knees shook.

He gasped as gentle hands cupped his face, and he looked up at blue eyes. Castiel’s lips were moving, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. He could hear everything and nothing. He both hated and loved the feeling, and he tried to tell Castiel, but only blood came out.

‘ _I’m here_ ,’ Castiel’s voice said in Dean’s head. ‘ _Everything’s going to be okay. Let it pass. Don’t hold onto it. Let it flow throw me_.’

Dean tried to swallow. Suddenly, there was an open path between him and his familiar. He could feel Castiel’s worry and assurance. It hadn’t been that long, but he missed being able to feel his familiar. The overwhelming power that had settled over him made it hard for him to feel Castiel’s thoughts. He closed his eyes and forced himself to let the power he was feeling waft over him and down the open connection.  It died down to a soft breeze against his being, and the world began to fade and focus at the same time.

Dean blinked tiredly at Castiel as he caught his breath. As awful as he felt, he felt amazing. He smiled stupidly at Castiel. ‘You’ve got some pretty eyes.’

Castiel let out a sigh and looked up at the gathered group of witches and familiars. ‘I’m sorry,’ he apologized. ‘I was unaware that there was a vortex present.’

‘You caught it quick, so no harm done,’ the woman that had greeted Dean said, crouching next to Castiel. She gave Dean a quick once over. ‘Never seen a reaction like that. Trippin’s common. My daughter sneezes if Ash ain’t around to help.’

‘You ain’t seen a witch that powerful come through here,’ a young man with a mullet said from next to the bar. He reached over the bar and poured a beer. A few quick steps, and he was next to the small group. He handed the beer to Castiel with a nod. ‘Name’s Ash. My witch is Jo over there,’ he said, nodding to a young woman worriedly pacing a few feet away. ‘And you’ve met Ellen. Don’t think I’ve met you two yet,’ he said looking from Castiel to Gabriel.

Castiel took the beer from Ash. He bit his lip and turned his attention back to Dean. ‘C-Cas,’ he replied. He cast a small spell over the drink, changing it to water, before offering it to Dean’s lips.

Gabriel stuck his hand out to Ash. ‘Gabriel.’

Ash shook Gabriel’s hand as he tilted his head. ‘Gabriel and… _Cas_. Wouldn’t happen to be short for Castiel, would it?’

Castiel’s shoulders hunched as he felt the attention of every familiar in the room fall on him. He flinched when Dean’s hand rested on the back of his neck.

‘Hey, it’s okay,’ Dean slurred. ‘You got me, and I got you. They don’t matter. ‘Sides…you’re way hotter.’

‘Is he okay?’ Sam asked.

‘He’ll be fine,’ Gabriel replied. ‘Just a little overload. Vortex’ll do that sometimes.’

‘But _I’m_ fine.’

‘That’s ‘cuz you don’t have any power, kiddo,’ Ellen said as she stood. She looked to the other patrons in the bar. ‘We’re all good here. Nothin’ to worry about. Now, what can I get you?’ she asked, leading Sam to the bar.

‘Why’s everythin’ movin’?’ Dean asked, pressing his forehead against Castiel’s. ‘It’s like…butterflies.’

‘You’re feeling other witches and familiars,’ Castiel explained. ‘You’re highly aware of them at the moment.’

Dean frowned as he stared into Castiel’s eyes. ‘One o’ the butterflies… I don’t like it. Like a…a wasp,’ he whispered.

Castiel briefly glanced around the room, taking in all of the stares he and Dean were receiving. With the power of the vortex filtering through him, he was unable to locate Dean’s ‘wasp,’ and he hoped it was just a particularly selfish witch.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam sat at the bar and watched Ellen flick her wrist at a stack of glasses. Two glasses turned over and slid across the counter. ‘So…everyone here is a witch?’ he asked, not hiding his awe.

‘Witches and familiars,’ Ellen confirmed, pouring a beer for Sam. ‘Non-magic people can’t see the sign. We’ve had a couple witches find out what they are by comin’ here. For a moment there, I thought your friend was gonna be one of ‘em.’

‘We’re brothers. No, he uh… That is, _we_ found out not too long ago,’ Sam replied.

‘Really?’ Ellen looked from Sam to Gabriel, who was poking through a small bowl of sugar packets. ‘And you both got familiars so quick? They ain’t exactly easy to come by. Especially for a witch like you.’

Gabriel looked up. ‘Sam’s not going dark,’ he insisted.

‘Never said he was. You just rarely see a powerless witch with a familiar,’ Ellen explained.

‘Especially a familiar that’s as powerful as you,’ Ash added as he walked up. ‘You’re one of the first hundred summoned.’

Sam looked at Gabriel in surprise. ‘What? Really?!’

Gabriel ducked his head. ‘It’s not _that_ important… It’s like…showing up early to a movie.’ He could feel how impressed Sam was and lifted his head to give a cocky grin. He grunted as a body slammed into him and a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder.

‘Hey! Hey, Gabe! Cas won’t teach me to make confetti rain,’ Dean whined as he leaned on Gabriel. ‘An’ he won’t lemme check th’ book.’

Gabriel grimaced at Castiel, and the other familiar shrugged helplessly in response. ‘I don’t know what you want _me_ to do about it…’

‘You _sure_ he’s gonna be okay?’ Ellen asked, eyeing Dean.

‘He’ll be fine once he adjusts,’ Castiel replied as he gently took Dean’s arm. ‘You should sit down.’

‘Oh! Cas. Hey.’ Dean’s eyes darted to Castiel’s mouth. God, how he wanted to kiss those lips. Why hadn’t he kissed them yet? It must have been a good reason if he hadn’t done it yet. He could feel more coming from Casitel, but his familiar was actively hiding certain thoughts. Whenever Dean reached out to see what they were, Castiel would yank them away. He sighed as he shifted to lean on the counter, not breaking eye contact with Castiel’s mouth. It was set in such an unhappy frown.

‘You need to smile,’ he said.

‘I’ll smile when you sit down,’ Castiel replied with a sigh.

Dean dragged himself onto a barstool and grinned. ‘There. Now smile.’

‘I meant in one of the booths. Dean, you’re going to fall.’ Castiel laid his hand on Dean’s shoulder, and gasped as he was pulled onto Dean’s lap. ‘W-what are you doing?’

‘I think you know _exactly_ what I’m doing,’ Dean said huskily. ‘Now, gimme a smile.’

Castiel blushed brightly as images of Dean kissing him flooded his mind. What was worse was that Dean set each kiss in front of ridiculously romantic backdrops with less and less clothing. A strangled cry came from his throat. As much as he would like to indulge in Dean’s fantasies, he knew that once his witch sobered, it would not end well. He did the only thing he could think of and took on his feline form.

Dean blinked at the scraggly black cat in his lap. ‘That’s not gonna save you,’ he said, lifting the cat and rubbing his face into Castiel’s fur. ‘Who’s my cuddly kitten?’ He looked up when he heard sniggering coming from behind him. He found Gabriel holding up Sam’s phone and grinning. ‘What?’

‘Oh, nothing,’ Gabriel replied. ‘Just…keeping the memory alive for future purposes. You’ll thank me later.’

‘Or kill you,’ Jo said as she set a tray of dirty glasses on the bar counter.

Gabriel set the phone down and faced the girl. ‘So you react to the vortex, too?’ He looked her up and down, clearly impressed. ‘ _You’re_ a bundle of clean magic.’

Jo laughed and looked away. She brushed her hair behind her ear. ‘Well, my mom taught me right.’

‘Witchcraft runs deep in our family,’ Ellen added.

‘So you’re a hand-me-down?’ Gabriel asked Ash.

Ash shook his head as Ellen and Jo smiled in amusement. ‘Nah, I answered a help wanted ad,’ he replied. ‘Hey. I’m gonna head out to the road for a bit. Somethin’ ain’t feelin’ right. Will you be all right?’

Jo nodded. ‘Been practicin’.’

Sam watched the exchange, studying the pair. ‘Practicing what?’ he asked. ‘That is, if you don’t mind answering.’

‘Oh! The vortex. Makes me sneeze an’ get real dizzy,’ Jo said as she sat next to Sam. She smiled up at him. ‘So what brings you to these parts?’

‘Ah! Ah-ah-ah!’ Gabriel leaned over Sam, shaking his finger at Jo. ‘Off limits, Sabrina!’

Jo leaned back in surprise. ‘Er… I thought you were just his familiar?’

‘I’m not the only one! Just ask them!’ he shouted, pointing to a dark haired man hunched over some paperwork. The Doberman next to him looked their way before laying her head on her witch’s lap.

‘N-no! I meant… Well…’ Jo gestured to Dean. ‘ _They’re_ obviously an item, but you two weren’t hanging off each other!’

Dean glanced up from rubbing Castiel’s ears. The girl obviously thought that he and Castiel were an item, so why weren’t they? He tried pressing the question to Castiel, and found it was an easy task.

‘ _Ask me after you’ve adjusted to the vortex_ ,’ Castiel’s voice echoed. ‘ _May I get down now?_ ’

Dean absently shook his head as he adjusted Castiel in his lap.

Sam looked away from Dean and Castiel with a soft laugh. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘We’re…yeah. Together. I’m still kinda getting used to it.’ He wrapped his arm around Gabriel’s waist as the familiar smugly sat on his lap.

‘I’m respecting his upbringing,’ Gabriel primly explained. ‘Not all witches have been raised around this stuff.’

‘What’s my upbringing have to do with anything?’ Sam asked.

‘Familiars can be very…friendly,’ Jo replied. She had a light blush on her cheeks as she looked down, smiling. ‘Ash likes to sleep between my legs.’ She glanced up and caught Sam’s amused expression. ‘I-I mean, he’s a honey badger when he does it! Not human. He’s got a girlfriend. He just sleeps with me?’ She groaned as she buried her face in her hands.

Sam laughed as he nodded. ‘It’s okay. I get it,’ he assured the distressed witch. ‘Gabriel sort of explained it. They like being close to you, and like it when you use magic.’

‘And they like it when you send them dirty thoughts,’ Dean added as he took Gabriel’s old chair. He held Castiel firmly in his arms as the cat struggled against him. ‘Shh… It’ll be fun. You want it, I want it, what’s the problem?’ he cooed. ‘We can try Sammy’s favorite brand of magic.’

Castiel stilled and stared up at Gabriel imploringly. He didn’t think he’d be able to last much longer against Dean’s mental advances. He was beginning to understand Dean’s distress when he had been under the influence of Dean’s magic and lust. He desperately wanted to, but he didn’t want to have to face Dean’s regret in the morning.

‘Speaking of making magic,’ Gabriel interrupted. ‘We need a couple rooms.’

‘Sure thing!’ Jo said as she stood and nodded her head toward a hallway behind the billiard tables. ‘I’m kinda useless for serving without Ash here, so gettin’ you set up with rooms’d be good for me. Closer or further from the vortex?’

Sam and Gabriel looked at Dean and Castiel then each other, the same thought going through their heads. ‘Further,’ they said simultaneously.


	16. Chapter 16

‘Come on, Dean,’ Sam said. He touched Dean’s shoulder and quickly pulled his hand back with a sharp hiss. ‘Did…did you just shock me?!’

‘Don’t wanna leave,’ Dean grumbled. ‘Jus’ fine right here.’

Gabriel rubbed his forehead as he groaned. ‘Cas, give your stupid witch some incentive to leave the vortex. Please?’

Dean gasped in delight as his lap was suddenly straddled by a full-grown human. ‘Hey, there,’ he said with a smirk.

‘Dean, I believe it would be wise if we went to our room,’ Castiel said as he tried to get off of Dean.

Dean held his familiar tightly and nuzzled against his neck. ‘But this is so nice,’ he whined.

Castiel glanced over his shoulder at Gabriel, who was raising an expectant brow at him. ‘Incentive. Of course,’ he said with a sigh before facing Dean. He wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck and smiled. ‘Wouldn’t a private room be more comfortable?’ he asked. He quickly scanned Dean’s recent memories and pulled up the image of himself laid out on a motel bed and begging. He tightened his hold as Dean suddenly stood.

‘Right! Room! Oh, God, yes,’ Dean said. He let Castiel down and tried to take a step forward only to stumble.

Castiel caught Dean and placed himself under his witch’s arm, supporting him. ‘We’re ready.’

Jo led the way to the back of the bar and down a narrow hall. They reached the two final doors at the end, and she smiled at the group of men. ‘You’re lucky,’ she said as she opened one of the doors. ‘Most folk try to be as close as possible to the vortex.’

‘Thank you, ‘ Sam said as he watched Castiel escort Dean through the doorway. ‘He’ll be okay, right?’ he asked Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded as the door slammed shut. ‘Yeah. He’ll ride out his high and be right as rain in a few hours. And embarrassed as hell, to boot.’

.-.-.-.-.

Dean staggered to the bed and fell onto his back. He stared at the ceiling as he wondered what was missing. Castiel. Castiel was missing. He sat up on his elbows and stared at the wary familiar. Wary and overdressed. ‘You should take off your coat. Stay a while,’ he said as he struggled to remove his own leather jacket.

Castiel shook his head as he looked around the small room. Instead of a TV, there was a pile of various crystals and candles. Small stacks of books and cards lined the shelves around the room. ‘I’m fine, thank you,’ he eventually said. Maybe, once Dean was feeling better, they could practice using magic.

Dean hummed in thought as he stared at Castiel. How was he supposed to convince his familiar to join him? ‘You said I can’t command you, but…’

Castiel’s attention snapped to Dean, his eyes wide. He had never imagined his own words being used against him. He could feel Dean tapping into him for help controlling his magic. His breath quickened as Dean’s magic began to build.

‘I can… _encourage_ you, right?’ Dean grinned mischievously as he sat up fully and placed his jacket on his lap. He held his hands over his lap and wiggled his fingers. ‘Floaty, floaty, leather coaty,’ he sang, and the coat slowly lifted off his lap.

Castiel gasped as the magic was released and flowed though him. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

Dean let the coat drop back onto his lap. Castiel was still wearing too many layers. He scratched his head as he raked his eyes over the gasping familiar. ‘I wanna try a different coat… How ‘bout yours?’ He smiled as Castiel pushed off the wall with a slight nod.

Casitel stumbled toward the bed and shrugged off his overcoat. He dropped it to the floor in front of Dean and swallowed.

‘Jacket, too,’ Dean instructed.

Castiel licked his lips and pulled of his suit jacket, letting it fall on top his tan overcoat. He took a step back as he followed Dean’s thoughts.

‘C’mon. Sit on the bed with me,’ Dean said as he leaned back. ‘Enjoy the show.’

Castiel quickly shook his head. ‘I-I’m good right here,’ he insisted.

Dean patted the space next to him. ‘You want magic?’ He waited for Castiel’s reluctant nod. ‘You gotta sit here.’

Castiel nodded and slowly approached the bed. He sat stiffly next to Dean with his hands in his lap. The moment Dean touched his back, he shifted into a cat. He stared at the pile of coats, ignoring Dean’s irritation. He sent a reminder that Dean never said he had to be human.

Dean rolled his eyes and waved his hand. The three coats hovered above the floor, slowly turning in the air. He pursed his lips in thought as he watched. He raised both hands and moved them, trying to help form the thought in his mind. Slowly, the clothing stood upright and linked arms. He bit his lip in concentration and tilted his head. The coats spun together in a small circle.

He laughed excitedly. Cautiously, he lowered his hands, and the coats continued to move. ‘Hey! I made them dance!’ he exclaimed as he looked down at Castiel.

Castiel was on his side, staring up at Dean through half-lidded eyes and purring loudly.

‘So…how do I get you to change forms?’ Dean asked as he lightly stroked the cat’s ears.

‘ _That wouldn’t be wise_ ,’ Castiel’s voice echoed. He groaned internally as Dean’s thoughts drifted. He completely understood Dean’s conflicted emotions now. He desperately wanted the witch. To feel everything coursing through him. He needed to feel his witch magically, mentally, and physically, but he didn’t want there to be any regret later.

Dean looked around the room, and his eyes fell upon a pillow. He tilted his head, and the pillow rose. As it floated up, he thought about all of the things he could do with Castiel. He could tell his familiar was on the verge of giving in. If he could just up his magic… He waved his hand, and the pillow changed color.

There was sudden a spike in need from Castiel, and Dean shifted his attention to the bed sheets. Slowly, teasingly, he swirled his hand in a lazy circle. The sheets beneath him changed at the edge and spiraled inward toward the purring cat.

The new color reached Castiel as he rolled onto his back. Dean spread his fingers out, and an intricate pattern spread out from beneath Castiel.

In an instant, the cat was replaced with Castiel’s human form. ‘Dean, please,’ he moaned loudly. ‘We shouldn’t… Don’t want you to hate me…’

‘I won’t hate you,’ Dean promised as he crawled on top of Castiel. With each second that passed, he could feel a little more of the thoughts Castiel was keeping hidden. ‘C’mon, Cas. I promise I won’t regret it. Done a lot of shit drunk an’ worse, an’ I never regretted it,’ he said as he leaned down. ‘I can feel how much you like this. How much you want it. Can’t hide it very well anymore.’

‘D-Dean… Want this so bad,’ Castiel moaned. ‘Want…want you…’ He arched his back as Dean kissed at his neck.

‘An’ I’m right here,’ Dean whispered. ‘All for you.’

Castiel stilled when there was a knock at the door.

‘Ignore it. It’s just you ‘n’ me right now,’ Dean said as he kissed at Castiel’s jaw.

‘It’s another witch!’ Castiel said as he strained to look at the door.

‘Fuck off, Sammy!’ Dean shouted.

‘Not Sam. Not nice,’ Castiel whispered harshly. He breathed in sharply as he felt a spell sift through the air around them. He placed his hands on Dean’s cheeks, forcefully gaining his attention. ‘You need to focus! Stay clear! Ignore the song!’

‘What…song…’ Dean’s eyes started to close against his will. Off in the distance, he could make out a soft and inviting melody. ‘I…oh… Cas… Cas, I…’

Dean collapsed against Castiel, unconscious.

Castiel quickly rolled Dean off of him and knelt over his witch’s body, glaring at the door. The knob turned, and in Castiel’s place was a large tiger. He bared his teeth and growled at the intruder.

The witch that entered the room smirked at Castiel. ‘I know you can’t hurt me,’ he said. ‘Not if you want your witch to stay clean.’

Castiel returned to his human form, maintaining his crouched stance over Dean. ‘What do you want?’ he asked.

‘For now? Just follow me,’ the witch replied. ‘And bring him along.’

.-.-.-.-.

Dean groaned as he came back to consciousness. He felt like he awakened to a really bad hangover. He tried to rub his head, but found that his wrists were bound together. He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He was in an old barn and hanging from a rafter. Beneath his feet, a large circle with strange symbols had been painted around him, and it was lined with burning candles.

He had no idea how he gotten into this predicament. Had Ruby tracked them down? The last thing he clearly remembered was walking into the bar. After that, everything became a muddled blur of bright colors and thoughts of Castiel. He blushed as he remembered trying to get Castiel to give in. Tentatively, he tried to reach out for his familiar, uncertain if he was doing it right. He felt calmness and irritation. It was coming from behind him.

Dean looked over his shoulder and saw Castiel staring at him with a neutral expression. ‘Cas? What’s going on?’

‘Gordon would like for you to dismiss me,’ Castiel replied, nodding his head to the space next to him.

‘What?’ Dean twisted around until he could see a man kneeling on the ground, putting the final touches onto the circle. ‘Hey! Let me go!’ he shouted. When there was no reaction, he tried to use magic to undo the manacles on his wrists, but he just couldn’t seem to get it to work. He looked up and saw more of the odd symbols etched into the iron.

‘You won’t be able to get out of those,’ Gordon said as he stood. He dusted off his hands and looked up at Dean. ‘Witches and iron… Don’t exactly go together.’

‘There is a dampening spell carved into the bindings,’ Castiel said in irritation. ‘The metal has nothing to do with it.’

‘But it _is_ traditional,’ Gordon said. ‘And I know how you familiars love tradition.’

‘What the fuck is going on?!’ Dean demanded as he gave the chains a sharp tug.

‘You’re going to dismiss your familiar,’ Gordon replied.

‘Why the hell would I do that?! Cas, get me outta here!’

Castiel looked away and sighed. ‘I can’t,’ he said as he motioned to a smaller circle that surrounded his feet. ‘I’m bound to this circle until it is broken.’

Dean narrowed his eyes at Castiel. He could easily make out Castiel’s thoughts, and his familiar was lying. And, as far as he could tell, Castiel was in complete control of the situation. ‘Yeah, well, I’m not dismissing you,’ he said.

‘Not a problem,’ Gordon said as he moved to the edge of the barn and retrieved a bowl and a small bag. ‘I was expecting that, so…I’m going to dismiss the claim for you.’

‘You can’t do that,’ Dean said as he looked from Gordon to Castiel. ‘He can’t do that. You said it yourself.’

‘It _can_ be done, but it requires a steep sacrifice,’ Castiel said. He shook his head as Dean’s thoughts went straight to human sacrifice. ‘The ritual requires a sacrifice of the performer’s own ability to establish a claim on a familiar. Although, I fail to see why anyone would be willing to forego such a connection.’

Dean turned his attention back to Gordon, who was busy placing ingredients into the bowl. ‘Hey, you! Why are you doing this?’ Gordon ignored him, and he shouted again.

‘Apparently, Gordon has made a deal with Ruby,’ Castiel answered.

‘Ruby.’ Dean kicked dirt at Gordon. ‘Why the hell would you do that?! What the fuck could you possibly be getting out of a deal with _her_?!’

Gordon looked up as the bowl began to smoke. ‘She can bring me back my sister,’ he replied as he stood.

Castiel’s head snapped to look at Gordon. ‘And she can’t do _that_ without me… What if… What if I simply reunited you with your sister myself?’ he asked. ‘Would you let us go in exchange?’

Gordon narrowed his eyes at Castiel.

‘Cas, no! Don’t you be makin’ deals with that asshole! We can get outta this ourselves!’ Dean yelled as he pulled against his restraints.

‘A familiar can’t bring back the dead,’ Gordon pointed out.

‘A _normal_ familiar can’t. I’m different. Why do you think Ruby wants _me_? Why not a more powerful familiar? One that’s older? Why _me_?’ Castiel stared calmly at Gordon, ignoring Dean’s cries, and keeping his plan carefully tucked away. ‘Creating a body is a simple task, and I can easily transport a soul. Since she is your sister, you share a special bond with her. I can easily locate her soul in the afterlife.’

Gordon stared at Castiel in silence. ‘There’s one step left to this spell, and you know it,’ he said. ‘You bring her back, I let you two go. You fail, and I will rip his claim from you so hard that you _will_ suffer.’

Castiel nodded and raised his hand. ‘I’ll need to tap into your own soul in order to find her,’ he said.

‘And I should trust you because…?’

‘You know that I would do nothing to risk tainting Dean,’ Castiel replied.

Gordon searched Castiel’s eyes and only saw honesty. He nodded as he stepped closer.

Castiel breathed slowly and did his best to drown out Dean’s screams and thoughts as he placed his hand against Gordon’s forehead.

Dean sagged as Castiel’s eyes closed and a soft light came from the familiar’s hand. ‘Cas… He doesn’t deserve it.’ He frowned as Castiel’s voice echoed in his mind.

‘ _He has already proven himself to be a dark witch. I can see his soul, and he has been tainted. He used his magic against those that caused his sister’s death. Magic must never be used to harm others, Dean. He needs to be reformed. He does not need our hate nor our vengeance. He needs help and forgiveness. And I believe his sister can provide that._ ’

Dean gasped as he felt a strange power waft through the air. There was a blinding flash of light, and Dean clenched his eyes shut. He blinked when the barn was once again dark, and he looked to where Castiel and Gordon stood. ‘Cas?’

Castiel gave a light push, and Gordon fell heavily to the ground. With a flick of his wrist, a small gust of wind broke the circle around Castiel’s feet. He stepped over Gordon and headed towards Dean.

‘Cas, what… What did you do?’ Dean asked, staring at Gordon’s lifeless body.

‘I reunited him with his sister. As promised,’ Castiel replied. ‘And now, we’re free to go.’

‘You… Fuck, Cas, you _killed_ him!’ Dean yelled.

Castiel tilted his head as he squinted at Dean. ‘It was the only way. Ruby would have killed him anyway.’

‘Exactly, Castiel! You fucking killed him!’

Castiel took a step back as Dean’s anger rushed through him. ‘I-I gave him what he wanted,’ he explained.

‘He wanted his sister back!’

‘Dean, you can’t bring back the dead! If you do, you get a mindless corpse,’ Castiel said, desperate to ease Dean’s anger. ‘The only way to truly reunite with the dead is…is through death. He wanted this. I…I made certain that his soul found his sister’s. I upheld my end of the bargain. He was happy. He was at peace! If Ruby had killed him, his soul would have wandered for who knows how long, looking for his sis—’

The barn doors blew off their hinges, and bits of wood showered around Dean and Castiel. Dean turned his head to see Jo standing in the doorframe with her hands raised. Behind her were Ash, Sam, and Gabriel.

‘Dean!’ Sam ran into the barn up to Dean. ‘Are you okay?’

Dean nodded and shook his wrists. ‘I’m fine. Just get me down.’

Sam examined the shackles for a moment. ‘I’ll get something to pick this with.’

‘Here. I got it,’ Jo said as she joined Sam and Dean. She placed her hands over the manacles and closed her eyes. ‘And…there!’

There was a loud click, and Dean’s hands fell free. He rubbed his wrists and thanked Jo.

‘No proble—oof!’ Jo stumbled as Ash leaned on her.

‘You’re gettin’ more complicated!’ he congratulated. ‘Feels _real_ nice.’

Jo laughed as she shrugged off Ash’s weight. ‘I can tell! So, uh… What happened here?’ she asked as she moved closer to Gordon and nudged his leg with her foot. ‘Wake up, you jerk! Shoulda known you’d be behind this. Maybe _now_ Mom’ll stop lettin’ in grey witches.’

‘He’s dead,’ Dean said gruffly.

‘What?! How did he die?’ Jo asked, taking a few steps back. ‘Y-you didn’t use magic did you?’

‘I eased his way,’ Castiel said quietly.

Dean looked around in confusion as the sudden tension in the air dropped. ‘Hey. What’s goin’ on? Why’s _that_ okay?’

‘You don’t…? Right, you weren’t raised with this. Um… Familiars can help ease a soul into the afterlife,’ Jo explained. ‘It’s a uh…variation on how they get vessels.’

‘So you could just touch Ruby and send her on her way?’ Sam asked, looking at Castiel. ‘That would fix everything!’

Castiel shook his head. ‘I attempted to once,’ he admitted. He glanced up at Dean. He could feel mistrust coming from his witch, and he didn’t like it.

‘Doesn’t work that way,’ Ash said. ‘The soul has to _want_ to move on. You try to tap into a perfectly happy person’s soul, and you’ll just end up with someone with a warm spot where you touched them.’

Dean let out a long breath. He searched through his connection with Castiel, and found his familiar completely open. Everything Jo and Ash had said was true. He could even make out the traces of Gordon’s final thoughts. The witch had died happy, comforted by the soul of his sister. He met Castiel’s eyes and nodded. ‘You kept your plan from me,’ he said.

‘He would have suspected if you had been calm,’ Castiel replied. He relaxed as Dean’s mistrust shifted into acceptance.

‘Next time, let me in on the plan,’ Dean said. ‘You need me to scream bloody murder, I’ll scream.’

‘Uh, guys? What are we gonna do about the body?’ Jo asked. ‘We can’t just leave him here.’

‘Oh! I can take care of that,’ Castiel said. He walked over the body and waved his hand over it as he muttered a spell.

The body quickly shriveled, and the skin pulled taut over bones until small holes appeared. The holes grew and the clothing deteriorated to dust. Soon, only bones remained until those, too, crumbled to dust.

Castiel waved his hand, and the dust scattered.

‘That was…really gross,’ Jo said after a moment. ‘Cool. But gross. How did you do that?’

Castiel’s back went straight. He had forgotten that Jo and Ash didn’t know about his vessel.

‘So it’s true,’ Ash said. ‘You _are_ half witch.’

‘Half… No! That’s not right! It’s forbidden,’ Jo argued.

‘More like _frowned upon_ … Cas kinda slipped through the cracks,’ Gabriel said with a shrug. ‘He’s good. Dean’s powerful enough for him, and they’re doin’ great.’ He looked to Dean then Castiel. ‘Right? No problems?’

Dean nodded. ‘Yeah… We’re all good, I guess,’ he said. He looked to Castiel and offered a smile. His smile dropped when Castiel’s thoughts slipped away from him. He sighed in frustration. ‘Good enough.’

‘Oh, my God! What is going on in here! Jo!’ Ellen ran into the barn. Her hand was raised and giving off a bright glow. She shook it out, as she came up to her daughter and looked at the ground. ‘This is…this is dark magic! I know Gordon’s handwriting… Where is he?!’ she shouted, stamping her foot. The wooden rafters shook, and dust fell to the ground.

‘Passed on,’ Ash replied. ‘Castiel took care of everything, so you can call off the search party. In the morning, I think it’d be a good idea to put up some extra warding.’

‘Of course,’ Ellen said as she pulled Jo into a hug. ‘Don’t you go off on your own again like that!’

‘I’m fine! Gabe said everything was okay. Cas woulda warned him if it wasn’t,’ Jo replied as she hugged back.

Ellen kissed the top of Jo’s head before turning to face Dean and Castiel. ‘You two gave us quite the scare!’ she said. ‘On minute, sparks, the next…nothin’.’

‘Sparks?’ Dean repeated. He felt embarrassment rolling off of Castiel and turned to look at his familiar. ‘What’s she talking about?’

‘You were very…interested in using your magic,’ Castiel quietly replied, keeping his eyes cast down.

‘We’ve got a crystal ball that catches excess magic. Lights up real nice when some witches are learning. Whatever you were doin’, your familiar wasn’t able to keep up,’ Ellen said as she turned away. ‘C’mon. It’s past midnight.’

Dean watched as Ellen left the barn and raised her hand. Her fingers waved, and a soft light began to glow around her hand, lighting the area around her. ‘Nice trick,’ he said.

‘I could teach you,’ Cas said from behind him.

Dean nodded, his thoughts still lingering on just what he had been up to earlier that night. He remembered holding Castiel in his lap, but what sort of magic had he been doing?

Sam nudged Dean’s shoulder and nodded to the open doorway. ‘C’mon. Let’s get some rest,’ he said.

Dean nodded and glanced over his shoulder to Castiel. ‘Comin’?’

Castiel nodded and trailed after the small group of witches and familiars.

.-.-.-.-.

The old barn had only been about a half mile away from the Roadhouse. As they reached the bar, Ellen halted the small procession and turned to look at Dean.

‘I think you should use the backdoor,’ she said.

‘What? Why?’ Dean asked, crossing his arms.

‘It might help if you start at the shallow end of the pool,’ Ellen said. ‘Instead of just jumping right into the deep end.’

Dean looked over at Castiel as his familiar’s discomfort rose. ‘Uh… What did I do?’

Gabriel pulled out Sam’s phone and happily played back a clip of Dean snuggling a black cat and cooing softly. ‘And that’s what you did in _public_ ,’ he said with a grin. ‘The uh… _sparks_ didn’t fly until you were behind closed doors.’

Dean breathed in sharply. He could remember bits and pieces of the thoughts he had been sending Castiel’s way. ‘Y-yeah. Backdoor’s good. I won’t…act weird, right?’

‘You’ll be fine,’ Castiel promised as he turned to lead the way.

‘What about you?’ Dean asked Sam.

Sam smirked at Dean. ‘Apparently, a vortex is great for me. All the perks, and none of the uh…after effects,’ he said. ‘I can levitate a glass now.’

Dean narrowed his eyes. ‘Levitating, huh?’ He grimaced as his mind supplied the image of several coats floating in a circle, soon followed by the image of Castiel moaning beneath him. ‘Well, keep up the good work,’ he said before jogging after Castiel. He could feel himself blushing with shame over his behavior. When he rounded the corner of the building, he found Castiel waiting by the back entrance. He slowed and stared at the way the light above the door hit Castiel’s hair.

Castiel stared at Dean and crossed his arms as he tilted his head. Dean’s interest intensified with the small movement. He shook his head and looked away.

‘Cas, I…’ Dean exhaled and shrugged. ‘Sorry about earlier.’

‘It’s fine,’ Castiel replied. ‘I tried my best to resist your advances.’

‘Yeah, uh… Thanks,’ Dean said. Part of him wished Castiel hadn’t resisted. ‘Cas, I… I’m havin’ trouble reading you right now.’

Castiel’s mouth turned to a frown. ‘I know,’ he replied. ‘I think it would be wise that you have limited access to my thoughts when we cross the threshold. We may be further from the vortex, but you will still feel it and be affected.’

‘Oh… Okay.’

Castiel turned on his heel and reached for the door.

Dean’s eyes followed the line of Castiel’s back. It was nice view without the coat and suit jacket blocking it. Maybe he could cop a feel later and blame it on the vortex. Hell, he probably already did. He wished he could remember.

Castiel’s hand froze just above the door handle. He took a deep breath as he clenched his eyes shut. ‘Dean, would you say that you are completely clearheaded right now?’

‘Yeah,’ Dean replied in confusion. ‘Why? Something wrong?’ He frowned as he watched Castiel’s shoulders shake. He gasped as Castiel suddenly grabbed him and slammed him against the side of the building, glaring at him. His breath caught as he remembered being in a much similar position, and the words left his mouth before he could stop them. ‘Cas, what’s wrong?’

‘You,’ Castiel growled before kissing Dean. He blew their connection wide open so that Dean would know exactly what he wanted.


	17. Chapter 17

Dean went still under Castiel. The only thing on his mind was the premonition he had had—and the one that followed right after. He gasped as he suddenly found himself staring down at Ruby’s dead body. He looked up and saw himself roughly grabbing at Castiel, forcing himself onto the reluctant familiar. ‘H-hey! Stop! That’s not me! Cas!’

He moved forward, but was held back by a strong hand on his arm. He looked over his shoulder and saw Castiel giving him an irritated stare. ‘Cas…’

‘Just because you See it, does _not_ mean it will come to fruition,’ Castiel said calmly. ‘ _This_ is what disturbed your brother. This is far from the worst of my premonitions. Dean, please understand… _You_ control your destiny. It is not set.’

‘I don’t… I don’t wanna hurt you,’ Dean whispered as he cupped Castiel’s cheek.

‘Then don’t hurt anyone with your magic, and don’t cast me aside,’ Castiel replied. ‘ _That_ will hurt me more than you rejecting my affections. It’s that simple.’

Dean blinked, and he was still being held against the motel’s back wall. He licked his lips, as he stared at Castiel. His familiar’s breath came I short rasps, and he could feel every want and need bearing down on him.

‘A-are we good?’ Castiel gasped as he felt Dean’s inhibitions slowly ease away.

Dean answered his familiar by grabbing him and switching their positions. He pulled Castiel up so that Castiel’s legs wrapped around his hips. He sucked at Castiel’s lower lip as the familiar clutched at his hair. He could feel all of Castiel’s thoughts. Every last want and need, and he was more than willing to finally give in.

With their connection finally open and flowing easily between them, Dean was free to explore Castiel’s desires. It went from mundane things like learning to drive to experimenting with every possible sexual position Dean could come up with.

As he promised that they would have plenty of time to do everything and more, he could feel a slight spark just out of his reach. It reminded him of the Vortex, but so much more raw and feral. Curiously, he reached for it as he sucked at Castiel’s neck. He might not have remembered what happened, but he remembered how good it felt to have the Vortex’s power running through him. Maybe, he could just tap into this new power a little bit. Just to get a good buzz going.

Castiel gasped and cried out in happy shock as Dean unwittingly tapped into his core and their magic mixed. He moaned for more, begging Dean to explore deeper.

The energy Dean felt was so different than that of the Vortex. The Vortex had felt neutral, but this was a spiraling pool of dark and light. It hit him in waves, and he moaned as it enveloped him completely. Compared to this new feeling, the Vortex was dull and boring.

He pulled back for a moment to regain his senses and saw Castiel panting and shaking in his hold. As Castiel stared at him with hooded eyes, his forehead damp with sweat, Dean could feel Castiel begging for more, stroking at his mind lovingly.

Castiel tilted his head back, and the movement sent a drop of sweat running down his neck.

Dean’s eyes caught on the droplet, and he could only wonder what Castiel would look like soaking wet.

There was a flash of lightning, and Dean jumped as thunder cracked overhead. He gasped as he was suddenly pelted with rain. ‘Shit!’ He blinked the water from his eyes, and looked at Castiel as the familiar’s hair was quickly soaked. He adjusted his hold so that he could run a hand through Castiel’s wet hair.

Castiel looked up at the forming clouds in wonder and smiled. ‘Dean…’ He broke off in a moan as Dean began kissing him again.

As hot it was to be grinding against Castiel in the rain, Dean wanted their first time to be inside. Warm and dry, and preferably on a soft bed. He sucked at Castiel’s neck, readying himself to pull away and stop supporting Castiel against the wall.

‘Fuck!’ He tumbled forward onto Castiel, and they bounced softly on top of a familiar bed. Dean scrambled to his hands and knees and looked wildly around the room. On the floor were his and Castiel’s coats. ‘W-what…’

Castiel cupped Dean’s face and smiled up at his witch. He pushed every bit of reassurance through their connection as he leaned up and kissed Dean softly. ‘It’s okay,’ he promised. ‘Just a small displacement spell.’

‘Small?’ Dean repeated.

‘Well… You _did_ have to tap into my power for it, and it’s a lot more difficult than the storm you summoned,’ Castiel admitted as he laid back, twisting his body enticingly.

‘Storm?’ Dean’s mouth fell opened as his eyes ran over Castiel’s soaked clothing. ‘The rain? That was… _me_?’

Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck and tugged him down. ‘Dean!’ he whined pathetically. He was not about to lose this chance to Dean’s sudden interest in magic. ‘I want this _now_!’

‘Wait, I thought I had to be careful about tapping into your power!’ Dean argued. He hadn’t even noticed.

‘You did fine,’ Castiel said reassuringly as he kissed at Dean. ‘You’re pulling power from me right now.’

‘That’s…that’s _you_?’

Castiel paused in his kisses and nodded uncertainly. He could feel Dean concentrating on the shifting aspects of his power, both dark and light. He bit his lip as Dean’s thoughts lingered on the darkness of his power.

‘Beautiful.’

‘W-what?’ Castiel gasped.

‘You heard me. And now…’ Dean licked his lips and closed his eyes as he erected a barrier around the room. He didn’t want anyone prying or interrupting. He imagined a phone line leading into the room from the crystal that Ellen had mentioned and cut it, grinning as Castiel gasped and giggled beneath him.

‘You just sealed us in here…with your magic,’ Castiel whispered excitedly.

‘Well, duh.’

Castiel shook his head as he blinked rapidly, trying to stay focused. ‘No, I mean your excess magic! This will be…very interesting…’

‘We’re gonna get drunk on magic, huh?’ Dean asked as he teasingly nipped at Castiel’s lips.

‘Mmm… I’ve never…never done this before,’ Castiel said as Dean’s hands wandered over his chest. He moaned and writhed as Dean unbuttoned his shirt, and gasped when Dean switched to using magic to undo the rest. ‘So your guess is oh…as goo-oh! G-good as mine…’

Dean smirked as he pushed Castiel’s shirt open. ‘Guess we’ll find out together,’ he said before dipping down to lick at one of Castiel’s nipples. Castiel arched against him, moaning loudly and begging for more of everything Dean had to offer. He kissed his way across Castiel’s chest as he ran his hands up Castiel’s sides.

He was not expecting the sudden bark of laughter and the knee to his thigh, narrowly missing his groin.

‘S-sorry!’ Castiel wheezed, grabbing his side where Dean had just touched. ‘I don’t know what happened.’

Dean stared down at Castiel as he absently rubbed where Castiel had kneed him. He brushed his fingers along Castiel’s side again, drawing a fit of laughter from the familiar.

‘S-stop! No! Aha! Haa!’ Castiel pushed at Dean, shaking his head and grinning wildly. He felt Dean’s amusement settle over him, and he gasped for breath as he stared up at Dean.

‘Why didn’t you say you were ticklish?’ Dean asked. He touched Castiel’s legs lightly, mapping out which spots got a reaction of laughter.

‘I didn’t know!’ Castiel gasped. He stilled from pushing Dean away again, letting Dean curiously poke and prod him. ‘A-are you done?’ he asked when Dean sat back on his heels.

Dean nodded before pulling his shirt off. ‘Yeah. Got your ticklish spots sorted. Just don’t touch the backs of my thighs, and we should be good to go,’ he said as he bent back down and left a trail of kisses from Castiel’s neck to his navel.

Castiel sighed happily and let his head fall back against the mattress as Dean went about undressing him. With his own magic, he slowly undid Dean’s belt. He reached his hands down and ran them up Dean’s arms as he lifted his hips for Dean to pull his pants off.

Dean crawled back up to give Castiel a kiss. He leaned downed as Castiel came up, and they bumped their foreheads together, misjudging the distance between them.

Castiel fell back with a soft laugh. ‘I’ll just stay here,’ he said, tilting his head as he watched Dean rub his own.

‘Good plan,’ Dean agreed as he tried again to kiss Castiel. This time, he was met with more success. He hummed in pleasure as Castiel reached between them and undid his jeans. He rolled his hips forward as Castiel lightly touched his cock and cupped his balls. ‘Feels good…’

‘I should hope so,’ Castiel said as he gently massaged Dean’s balls. ‘I _am_ picking out what you like from sex.’

Dean laughed softly as he shook his head. ‘Cheater. That why you’re pretty good at kissing?’ he asked.

Castiel gave a slight smile and shrugged as he lightly traced his fingers over the length of Dean’s cock. ‘This is all new to me,’ he admitted. ‘I know what _my_ body likes, but yours is completely different.’

‘Well, _I’m_ gonna find out what you like, and I think you’ll be surprised at what you didn’t know. Won’t even have to cheat,’ Dean said with a grin as he moved down to between Castiel’s thighs.

‘Well, as I said before, I was quite—ah! O-oh, God!’ Castiel gripped the sheets as Dean’s mouth engulfed his cock, tongue running back and forth. He thrust up as Dean pulled back, wanting more of the wet warmth that Dean had to offer. He whimpered and gasped as Dean sucked on the head of his dick. A wave of magic washed over him, focusing on his ass. His brows came together in confusion as he felt something slick and warm drip out of his hole and down his crack.

‘Just some lube,’ Dean explained. ‘This has got to be the most useful perk magic has to offer.’ He went back to nursing of Castiel’s cock and began rubbing a finger against Castiel’s tight hole.

Castiel clutched at Dean’s hair and squirmed as Dean’s finger went deeper and deeper within him. He shouted as Dean’s finger crooked slightly, sending jolts of pleasure up his spine. He thrust deep into Dean’s willing mouth as he felt himself release his load.

Dean pulled back in surprise and coughed, cum dripping from his mouth and down his chin. He turned his head and spat off to the side before giving Castiel a playful glare. ‘Warn a guy next time, huh?’

Castiel blearily met Dean’s eyes. ‘Sorry,’ he apologized. ‘I wasn’t expecting that…’

Dean wiped at his chin and spat again. ‘Yeah, me neither,’ he said with a sigh. He pushed his hand into his jeans and started stroking himself.

Castiel frowned as he propped himself onto his elbows. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Getting off.’

‘I thought… Well…’ Castiel pursed his lips and sat up. ‘I thought we were going to have sex.’

Dean stopped, his hand wrapped loosely around his hard cock. ‘That was the plan, but it’s fine. Plans change. We can do it next time. Maybe you’ll hold out longer,’ he said with a gentle smile.

Castiel huffed in irritation as he fell back. He spread his legs and licked his lips as he stared at Dean. ‘You could always use magic,’ he suggested. ‘A simple spell to give me a second wind. Or would you rather I just sit here and watch?’ He ran his hands over his thighs and hips, framing his spent cock.

‘Second wind, huh? All right, how do I do that?’

‘You’re my witch. I’m sure you can find a way to get me going again,’ Castiel said mischievously.

Dean stared at Castiel for a moment before crawling on top of the familiar. Castiel wasn’t giving him any clues on what to do, just giving him an encouraging smile. He licked his lips, still tasting Castiel in his mouth. So he had to do a spell. What sort of spell would make a familiar ready for round two? He frowned as Castiel raised an expectant brow at him. Castiel was so susceptible to his magic, would it even matter what sort of spell he used? Could he just…push his magic into Castiel? Essentially fuck him with his magic?

He caught the excited glint in Castiel’s eye as the thought ran through his head. He smirked as he bent down and caught Castiel’s lips with his own. He kissed Castiel passionately as he focused on pushing his energy into Castiel then pulling it back, teasing the familiar. He lifted Castiel’s legs around his hips as he continued to pull his magic in and out.

Castiel rocked in Dean’s arms as he once again felt the gently probing finger inside him. He groaned happily as Dean’s magic lapped at him, filling him and dissipating before filling him up again. More fingers joined, moving and stretching him, but he was too distracted to focus on the feeling. Not only was Dean’s magic assaulting his senses, but he could feel Dean probing, searching out his own magical core. He guided Dean, and threw his head back as Dean’s magic slipped into his own. He gasped and panted as Dean syphoned off small bits of power and sent them right back into him.

When Dean felt Castiel was sufficiently ready, he pulled his fingers out and lined himself up. With a thought, he felt lube manifest over his cock, and he shivered as he slowly pushed in. He pulled his magic away from Castiel as he buried himself, wanting Castiel to feel everything. He stopped when he was fully inside, panting harshly against Castiel’s neck. Nails raked against his back, and Castiel twitched beneath him.

Castiel had never felt so delightfully full before. He never would have thought to try it. ‘P-please, Dean,’ he begged quietly. ‘Mmmore. Need more. Need you… Oh…’ He moved his hips, and it shifted the fullness within him, causing him groan loudly.

Dean very slowly began to pull out, and he kissed Castiel, receiving sloppy attempts to keep up. He smiled and stroked Castiel’s hair before dipping his tongue into Castiel’s mouth, cutting off a half-formed plea. Just before pulling out completely, he pushed right back in, pushing his magic back into Castiel at the same time. Beneath him, Castiel spasmed and cried out ecstasy. ‘That feel nice?’ he asked with a grin.

Castiel nodded wordlessly, his mouth open in a silent scream. He tilted his hips and clutched tightly Dean, pulling himself against Dean’s chest as his prostate was unexpectedly hit. ‘O-oh! Dean! So good!’

Dean moved faster, thrusting in and out. The more of his magic he sent into Castiel, the more he would pull away from Castiel’s own power. As it ran through him, it sent him higher and higher. It was better than anything he had ever felt. Better than any high or drunken night at a club. He gripped at Castiel’s hip tightly with one hand at cupped Castiel’s cheek with the other. ‘Feels so good, Cas,’ he muttered before claiming Castiel’s lips and sending another wave a magic into his familiar.

Castiel bucked as he came. Before he had a chance to enjoy Dean’s continued thrusting, he was overwhelmed by an immense pulse of power, shooting straight into the core of his being. He screamed  for Dean as Dean’s magic filled every fiber of his being.

Castiel lay, panting and staring at the ceiling as Dean gently pulled out of him. He swallowed and blinked as Dean moved into his vision.

‘You okay, there?’ Dean asked, voice gruffer than normal.

Castiel nodded. ‘That was…I don’t know,’ he croaked.

‘Good? Bad?’ Dean prompted.

‘Good. Very good,’ Castiel replied. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He let them fall shut and moaned softly as Dean’s magic caressed him with a cleaning spell. ‘You’re getting better at this.’

‘Yeah. It’s gettin’ easier,’ Dean admitted. He moved Castiel to the head of the bed and tucked him in. ‘Think you could use some sleep.’

Castiel nodded and curled against Dean, resting his head on Dean’s bare chest. He felt good, but completely worn out. He could definitely use the rest. He sighed and slipped into sleep as Dean’s magic continued to gently caress him.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam had made a beeline to his room, Gabriel hot on his heels. He glanced at the back entrance and wondered if he should wait for Dean.

‘He’s with Cas,’ Gabriel said as he tugged on Sam’s sleeve. ‘He’ll be fine.’ He paused as he reached for the doorknob and stared at the back entrance. ‘More than fine, I should think…’

Thunder clapped loudly, vibrating through the building, and causing Sam and Gabriel to jump in surprise.

‘Where did _that_ come from?!’ Sam asked. He didn’t remember seeing any clouds, and there was nothing in the forecast that called for rain.

‘ _That_ would be your brother,’ Gabriel replied. ‘Betcha that dick doesn’t even know he’s doing it.’

Sam grinned excitedly at Gabriel. ‘Really?! I know you said he could, but… I gotta see this!’

Gabriel lingered back and grimaced as Sam threw open the back door, letting in a gust of wind and rain. From the amused and embarrassed look on Sam’s face, he could make a pretty good guess at what was going on.

Sam was about to ask if Dean and Castiel wanted to come in, but they vanished before he could even open his mouth. He blinked in surprise and wiped the rain from his face. ‘W-what the…fuck?’ He looked down as Gabriel huddled under his arm and peeked around the corner.

‘What’s goin’ on?’

‘They just…disappeared!’ Sam replied, waving at dry spot on the wall that was quickly being covered by wet spots. ‘One minute, Dean’s practically fucking Cas against the wall, the next…nothing!’

‘Displacement spell,’ Gabriel said distractedly. He mentally scanned the immediate area and relaxed as he felt Castiel’s presence nearby. He pulled Sam back into the hall and let the door fall shut. ‘They’re fine. Back in their room going at it like rabbits.’

Sam turned his gaze to the door to Dean’s room and nodded. ‘Do we need to worry about them?’

Gabriel shook his head as he led the way back to their own room. ‘What’s there to worry about? Cas not knowing that tab A goes into slot B?’ he said with a snort. They entered their room, and Gabriel hopped onto the bed. ‘But I’m sure your brother will be _more_ than willing to teach Cas the mechanics of sexual intercourse.’

Sam laughed as he began undressing. He pulled his shirt over his head and gasped as he felt Gabriel kissing at his stomach. ‘I was actually hoping to go to sleep…’

Gabriel hummed as he nuzzled Sam’s stomach. ‘I’m just kissing. Appreciating your well-sculpted abs.’

Sam rolled his eyes and moved past Gabriel. ‘I’m sure that’s _all_ you had in mind.’

Gabriel licked his lips in thought and shrugged. ‘I’m game for whatever. I’m happy just curling up on your chest,’ he said as he pulled the sheets down and crawled into bed.

‘Last time you did that, I woke up with a snake on my neck,’ Sam said as crawled in beside Gabriel. ‘No snake. Ever. Again.’

Gabriel sighed and nodded. ‘How do you feel about a squirrel?’


	18. Chapter 18

Sam brought his hand up and lightly stroked at the small mass of fur balled up on his chest. Tiny claws wrapped around his finger, and a fluffy tail settled over his wrist. ‘Good morning,’ he said quietly as the little red squirrel yawned.

Unlike Gabriel’s fox form, the squirrel was only missing half of its right ear. Everything else was clean and intact.

Sam flinched as the squirrel suddenly sprang off his chest, landing on the bed next to him as a fully formed human. The bed bounced under Gabriel’s added weight, and Sam smiled as he sat up.

‘Morning, sunshine,’ Gabriel said as he leaned into Sam and kissed him. ‘What’s on the menu for the day?’

‘I think we’re gonna head out and just keep hitting as many tourist traps as possible,’ Sam said with a shrug. He looked around the room as he stood, sighing at the small pile of occult materials that lay on the desk in one corner of the room. He was going to miss how easy it was for him to perform magic with the Vortex nearby. He looked down as Gabriel wrapped his arms around his waist.

‘It’ll be fine,’ Gabriel promised. ‘Now that you know how to access a Vortex and sexual energy, it’ll be easier for you to grab a spark from a battery. Hell, you might even be able to snag it from an outlet or something when you learn more control.’

Sam nodded. He felt better with Gabriel’s easy trust and belief in his abilities washing over him. And Gabriel was right. He _did_ feel more confident now that he had actually seen himself lift a glass with magic. The Vortex made everything so much easier. It was constantly thrumming in the background—its constant waves of energy waiting for anyone to come along and use it. All he had to do was reach out and let it in.

In a short time, Sam and Gabriel had everything together and were ready to go. They entered the hallway, and Gabriel marched up to the room Dean and Castiel were sharing. He banged loudly on the door as he whined about being hungry.

The door cracked open, and Dean poked his head out, a slight look of worry on his face. ‘Um… We’ll be out in a sec,’ he said quietly.

‘Something wrong?’ Sam asked.

Dean looked over his shoulder and shrugged. ‘I don’t think so… Just… Hangover? I guess?’

‘Hangover? _Who_?’ Gabriel asked incredulously.

‘Magic hangover?’ Dean elaborated. ‘Look, Cas isn’t feelin’ so hot, and I don’t know what to do other than wait it out.’ Ever since he had woken up, Dean had been feeling off—as if he were on the tail end of a really bad hangover. It wasn’t until Castiel had started groaning in agony that he was able to place that the feeling was wafting off of his familiar. He had done his best to try and alleviate the pain, and Castiel had kissed him gratefully when his pain was almost cut in half.

Gabriel’s jaw went slack as he tried to figure out how _any_ witch could overload his brother. Or any familiar that had been around for more than a couple centuries. ‘How did you manage _that_?’ he asked.

Dean ducked his head sheepishly. ‘I mighta sealed us in with my magic…and uh… I kinda tapped into his own magic, and just…kept the cycle flowing?’

‘That’s… God, that musta felt so good,’ Gabriel said jealously. ‘So worth the aftereffects.’

‘You wouldn’t think so from the way he’s acting,’ Dean quietly replied. He had to agree with Gabriel—despite the shared pain, it was worth it for the night of passion he and Castiel had shared. He glanced over his shoulder as he felt Castiel sidle up to him. ‘How ya’ feelin’?’

‘I’ll live,’ Castiel groggily replied. ‘I think.’

Dean smiled and pecked Castiel on the cheek. ‘We’ll give it another hour. See how you’re feeling then.’ He looked back at Sam and Gabriel and shrugged. ‘I know we wanted to leave early, but… I’m kinda helping him out with the pain, so I’m no good to drive. _Or_ ride.’

‘It’s no problem,’ Sam assured his brother. ‘We’ll just grab a bite while we wait. Maybe see if we can’t get anything to go for you two.’

Dean winced as he nodded and closed the door.

‘ _I_ want a magic hangover,’ Gabriel whined as he followed Sam along the hallway to the main bar area.

‘Well, when I figure out jump starting my own magic enough to tap into you, I’ll be more than happy to recycle it, or…however that works,’ Sam replied.

The bar area was pretty vacant as Sam and Gabriel entered. They sat down at a booth by one of the windows, and Sam stared outside at the large puddles that covered the parking lot. He had to admit, it was _amazing_ what his brother could do. Amazing…and downright scary.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam looked up from his laptop as the quiet murmur of other patrons fell into a weighty silence. Every eye was fixated on Dean and Castiel. Castiel hadn’t bothered to look up, choosing instead to head straight to the booth that Sam and Gabriel occupied.

Dean, on the other hand, dropped the bag he was carrying and glared. ‘ _Now_ , what’d I do?!’ he shouted as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

Ellen pointed to a corner in the bar where a pile of broken glass lay. ‘You overloaded the crystal,’ she said. ‘Do you have any idea how hard those things are to make?’ She sighed as she shook her head. ‘Don’t matter none. I’ll just add it to your tab.’

Dean narrowed his eyes at the jagged shards of glass. His head still hurt, he was hungry, but had no appetite, and he was cranky. It was just a stupid ball of glass. A hand touched his arm, and he looked over, softening his gaze as he looked down at Castiel.

‘It’s all right,’ Castiel said as he leaned into Dean. ‘They’re not particularly hard to make. More of a lost art, I think. I’ll just fix this one before we leave.’

Dean sighed and nodded, stooping down to pick up his bag. He let Castiel lead him to the booth. ‘Are you okay to do that?’ he asked as they slid onto the seat. ‘I mean, _I_ feel like shit, so I can only imagine how _you_ feel.’

Castiel shrugged and stared at the plate of eggs that Gabriel shoved in his direction. ‘I’ll be fine. I can pull energy from the Vortex. Under normal circumstances, it would give me some trouble in my current condition, but the Vortex is a neutral energy source. I’ll just be like this for possibly an extra hour or so…or half a day. I’m not sure,’ he replied before pushing the eggs away.

‘You gotta eat _something_ , Cas. Keep your strength up,’ Gabriel said as he took a bite from the eggs.

‘Kinda with Cas on this one,’ Dean said as he eyed the food. ‘Not really hungry… We can swing by a fast food joint later or grab something from a gas station.’

‘Are you okay to drive?’ Sam asked.

Dean almost nodded, but shook his head. ‘You can take the first leg. I’ll…just be miserable and riding shotgun.’

‘What exactly happened?’ Sam asked as he looked between Dean and Castiel.

‘Cas blew a fuse,’ Dean replied as Castiel shifted into a cat and slowly slunk onto his lap. He absently scratched at Castiel’s ears and received a pathetic whine in response. ‘Next, time… I don’t think we’ll go so fast. Or uh…maybe I won’t seal us in.’

‘What was it…er… Sorry,’ Sam said, quickly looking away.

Dean laughed softly as he shook his head. ‘It was fucking amazing.’ He smiled and looked down as Castiel purred in agreement. ‘Just…not very well thought out.’

.-.-.-.-.

The Impala sped down the road until Sam was forced to slow down as he came up behind an RV. He glanced over at Dean and smiled. Dean was sound asleep with both Castiel and Gabriel curled up on his lap.

Castiel had fixed the crystal before they had left, and that had been quite the event. Every other familiar staying at the Roadhouse had crowded around to watch, leaving their respective witches in favor of watching one of their own perform witch-like magic. Despite drawing from the Vortex for the extra required power, Castiel had managed to tire himself out.

When they were finally ready to leave, Dean didn’t even argue when Gabriel had cautiously crawled onto his lap next to Castiel. Dean had absently reached down and petted Gabriel before scrunching his face in confusion then looking down to place his hand on Castiel instead.

Sam tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove past a faded billboard. With Dean and Castiel passed out in the passenger seat, he could get in at least one stop without the pair leaving the car. Ruby wasn’t tracking _him_ , so it could potentially throw her off their scent for a little longer.

He had done a little research on Ruby, but hadn’t managed to find very much. He had found a few old paintings associated with her, but nothing else that was very solid. And certainly nothing that would give them an edge.

As Sam pulled off onto the exit ramp, he wondered how they could get Ruby off their backs. How much did the movies get right? How little? Was there anything they _could_ do? Bind her power? Seal her up? Bury her deep underground?

She probably had a trick for everything they could think of if she managed to stay alive for so long.

Sam sighed and looked down at Gabriel’s inquisitive stare. ‘We’re fucked. Aren’t we?’


	19. Chapter 19

Dean lazily opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize exactly where he was. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stretched a little, dislodging the warm weight from his lap. He laughed softly and apologized before looking out the window.

Through the trees, he could make out a large splotch of blue that was definitely not the sky. Not with _that_ grinning maw. ‘I’ve died and gone to hell…’

He reached for the door handle, but a soft, black paw stopped him. He glanced down at Castiel then back to the windshield directly in front of him. ‘Oh, come on!’ he whined.

On the windshield, Sam had taped a short note. ‘Unless you desperately have to piss, stay in the car,’ it read.

Dean slumped back against the seat with a disgruntled huff and crossed his arms, glaring at the note. He was a prisoner in his own car. ‘Now, what?’ he grumbled as Castiel jumped over his shoulder.

‘Now, we wait,’ Castiel said from the back seat. He looked around the small parking area curiously. He stared at a sign situated above a nearby building and pursed his lips in confusion. ‘Dean, why would Sam deem it necessary to visit a whale?’ he asked.

Dean was torn between amusement and frustration. ‘It’s just a tourist trap,’ he explained. ‘From the looks of it, it’s just a big, blue whale statue…thing…’ He squinted through the trees at the blue structure. ‘Apparently you can walk through it. There’s no explainin’ some of these…attractions.’

‘Is “attraction” the right word?’ Castiel asked as he moved to the other side of the car. ‘That would suggest this place would be attractive. Or it would at least attract visitors. There is only one other car here.’

Dean nodded as he sighed. He really wanted to pee, but it wasn’t anything he could hold for about another hour. ‘Hey, Cas.’

‘Hm?’ Castiel looked away from the wooden structure on the other side of the small parking lot and gave Dean his full attention. Dean’s mind was drifting to spellwork, and the thought sent a small thrill through him.

‘So…the car’s warded against being tracked, right?’

Castiel leaned forward and nodded. ‘Yes. The spell I used is resilient and complex.’

‘Could you use it on other things, too?’ Dean asked.

‘It’s meant more for carriages,’ Castiel replied. ‘To keep your movements hidden. There would be no point in placing it on an immobile object.’

Dean shook his head as he turned to face Castiel. ‘No, I mean… Uh… Could we, like…ward my clothes? Or something?’

‘Ward your…’ Castiel blinked slowly as he quickly did the calculations in his head. ‘I could…come up with something. It would only…um…make you less obvious. It wouldn’t completely hide you. You have to be completely enclosed for that.’

‘Better than nothin’, I suppose,’ Dean said. ‘Can you do it right now?’

‘Me?’ Castiel’s shoulders sagged. ‘I suppose I could.’

‘Well, at least walk me through it,’ Dean said, catching Castiel’s disappointment. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing, and… Oh, shit. Actually, if it’s gonna take any special ingredients, then it can wait.’

‘If you have a blade to cut your finger with, then I can show you what sigils to draw on the inside of your coat,’ Castiel replied as he summoned his grimoire onto his lap.

‘Like with the motel,’ Dean said with a smile.

‘Yes, but it will have to wait until we can properly perform the spell to hide the sigils from sight,’ Castiel said with a smile. ‘And…um… If you don’t mind, I’d like to set it up so that the spell would run off of your power,’ he added, blushing lightly.

Dean grinned back as Castiel’s warmth washed over him. ‘Sounds good. Take it you’re feeling better?’

Castiel nodded happily. ‘There is still a little nausea, but I’ll be all right,’ he said. He moved forward and hesitantly pressed his lips to Dean’s cheek. ‘Thank you. For easing the pain earlier. And for...well…’

‘For getting my head outta my ass?’ Dean said with a grin. He turned in his seat and pulled Castiel in for a deep kiss.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam wrote in his notebook as the young guide spoke to him. He had only seen photographs of the Blue Whale of Catoosa, and it was a lot creepier in person. The guide paused, and he nodded for her to continue.

‘So Zelta died in 2001, and everything was just forgotten and neglected. It wasn’t until…uh… Is your friend planning on just… He does know the slide goes right into the pond, right?’

‘Gabriel, what are you doing?’ Sam shouted without looking over.

Gabriel’s head snapped up. He had one leg in the slide and a guilty look on his face. ‘Um… It’s a slide. You uh…slide on it. There aren’t any signs saying I can’t,’ he said defensively.

Sam sighed and nodded. He couldn’t help the smile that surfaced as he watched Gabriel jump into the slide with a holler, splashing into the water on the other end. He looked at the guide and gave her a shrug. ‘He’ll dry off,’ he said. He could hear Gabriel splashing out of the water and back to the slide. ‘Eventually…’

The guide nodded uncertainly. She had expected that sort of behavior from drunk college students. Not full grown men working with a museum. It took her a few minutes to get back into the flow of her rehearsed speech, explaining all the efforts that had been made during the restoration of the whale. Every once in a while, she was interrupted by a gleeful shriek and splash.

.-.-.-.-.

An enraged shout echoed off the brick walls of a deteriorating building.

‘Meg!’

There was a crash of glass as Ruby threw a jar at the wall. She growled as a young woman with short blonde hair and a dark bruise around her neck wavered into existence.

‘Well, _that_ was productive,’ the specter said with a smirk, looking down at the broken jar. ‘I take it Gordon was a dead end?’

‘Literally,’ Ruby replied. ‘As far as I can tell, Castiel gave him what he wanted.’

‘Knew it wouldn’t work. Cas might not be bright, but he knows how to work a situation into his favor.’

‘His new witch is completely clueless. Doesn’t know a damn thing about being a witch!’ Ruby shouted as she swiped a pile of books off a nearby table. ‘And yet he can take down a barrier constructed by Castiel! He should _not_ be that powerful!’

‘So the kid’s a natural. It happens,’ Meg said with a shrug. She watched as Ruby paced the length of the room, muttering and sending destructive spells off against the walls. ‘Did you need me for something, or did you just want an audience for your pout-fest?’

Ruby spun and glared at the ghost. Her expression shifted, and she smiled sweetly at Meg.

Meg narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Ruby walked along the room, trailing her fingers over the bricks. She reached a nail in the wall and pulled off the necklace that hung from it. She held up the necklace and examined it. On a thin, black cord hung an oxidized coin and a few small talismans that radiated power. She held her free hand beneath it and began chanting.

Meg shook as the spell Ruby wove coursed through the necklace and into her.

‘Neither Castiel nor his witch have surfaced since last night,’ Ruby said. ‘Where is Castiel, now?’

Meg held her head high and looked away. ‘I wouldn’t help you even if I _could_ ,’ she hissed. ‘I’m dead, and Castiel has a new witch. Or connection was severed long ago.’

‘Don’t lie to me! You were still connected when you died!’ Ruby wrapped her hand around the talismans and squeezed. ‘You can still feel him. You know _exactly_ where he is! So tell me, or I’ll—’

‘You’ll what? Banish me?’ Meg laughed. ‘Force me? You don’t have the power to properly force me,’ she said knowingly. ‘You may be powerful, but your recovery time is growing longer. Not like it used to be, huh? What’s wrong? Are you starting to fade?’

Ruby’s face shifted into a look of pure rage before she quickly schooled her features to a neutral look. ‘It’s unfortunate that you’re so uncooperative, Meg,’ she said in mock-sadness. ‘You’re still trying so hard to protect him. You’re dead. You have no investment in this world. You… Wait… Are you… Did you actually _fall in love_ with him?’

Meg glared Ruby and remained silent.

‘Oh, my God,’ Ruby said with an incredulous laugh. ‘You did! That explains your white witch fantasy! Why didn’t I see it before? You’re _pathetic_!’ She faced Meg fully and held the necklace out as she muttered a short incantation.

Meg screamed and flickered as her image was forced to change to that of an old woman.

‘We all know that you were no white witch, Meg. There’s a _reason_ you were hanged,’ Ruby said as she walked around Meg’s cringing form, sneering. ‘Your hands are far from clean. You _and_ Castiel…’

‘Why do you even _want_ Castiel?’ Meg growled from the floor. ‘There are plenty of familiars out there that are more powerful and willing to work with a dark witch!’

‘They don’t have Castiel’s grimoire!’ Ruby shouted back. ‘I _need_ that book!’

Meg blinked slowly as she registered the desperation in Ruby’s voice. She had seen the grimoire plenty of times. She had even added in her own spells. She tried to think back to every spell she had seen, and couldn’t come up with any that would have Ruby so eager to get the book back. Ruby already had longer lasting youth and the ability to possess a new body. What else could she possibly want?

Ruby replaced the necklace on its nail and stormed away. ‘I have some…shopping to do. And when I come back, you _will_ tell me where Castiel is,’ she said from the doorway.

The door slammed shut, and Meg stood. She didn’t have much time to act. If Ruby returned with a human for sacrifice, Meg would stand no chance of resisting her power. She almost returned her form to its youthful appearance, but thought better of it. She would need all the power she had.

She eyed the necklace on its hook and gathered her strength.


	20. Chapter 20

Ruby returned to the room where she had left Meg, a withered homeless man trailing silently behind her. She paused as she reached the center of the room, looking around in confusion. ‘Meg!’ she called out.

There was no answer, and she angrily stalked over to where Meg’s necklace hung. She reached up, but it was no longer on its nail. Her breath caught and her stomach sank as she cast her eyes about the floor. ‘No,’ she hissed.

She searched the room and found a small, open window on the other side. She ran to the window and looked up and down the alley below. It was completely empty with no sign of life.

‘You can’t save him, Meg!’ she screamed before turning to face the entranced man. ‘No one can save him.’

.-.-.-.-.

Dean growled in annoyance and made a quick turn onto an off ramp. He was hungry, he needed to pee, and no matter how many windows were open, his car smelled like a wet animal.

‘Hey! What…what are you doing?!’ Sam asked in alarm as the damp fox on his lap yelped.

‘I can’t take the wet dog smell anymore!’ Dean retorted. He followed the signs to a cluster of fast food joints and a gas station and parked the car. He got out and slammed the door as he headed to the closest building.

‘His appetite’s back, too,’ Castiel said quietly. ‘It’s not you, Gabriel. It’s… Well, it’s your smell combined with being hungry.’ He left the car and followed Dean, pausing for a moment to stare back the way they had come.

Sam sighed as extra weight suddenly filled his lap. ‘Sorry about that.’

Gabriel shook his head, smiling. ‘It’s all good. This’ll give me a chance to properly dry off.’

‘Why didn’t you just magic yourself dry?’ Sam asked as he opened the door and let Gabriel crawl off his lap.

Gabriel shrugged before stretching. ‘Slow dry feels better,’ he explained. ‘Kinda forgot about the smell, though…’ He grinned sheepishly at Sam. ‘Shoulda said something. I woulda dried off.’

Sam smiled as he shook his head. ‘I uh…kinda like the wet dog smell,’ he admitted. ‘Always wanted a dog. And…fox is pretty close, right?’

‘Not your pet, Sammy,’ Gabriel replied with a grumble.

Sam laughed at the annoyed flash that ran through him. ‘I know that,’ he said before pressing a light kiss to Gabriel’s temple. ‘But would you really be opposed to a leash?’

Gabriel watched as Sam left to follow Castiel and Dean into a small burger joint. Sam’s tone and thoughts were teasing, but it didn’t make the idea of a leash and collar any less provocative. He groaned in frustration and sent a wave of lust after Sam. He received a silent promise that they could explore those thoughts later that night. It was enough incentive for Gabriel to endure their next few stops with eager patience.

.-.-.-.-.

As much as Dean loved his car, he was beginning to hate it. He found himself actually _wanting_ to follow Sam into whatever strange Hell he had directed them to (some sort of so-called curiosity shop). It would be a welcome change from the cramped space of the Impala. He moved his seat back as far as he could and glared out the window.

‘I can’t believe he actually suggested pissin’ in a bottle!’ he growled.

‘He said it was a joke,’ Castiel replied from the backseat.

Dean dragged his hand over his face and looked at Castiel through the rearview mirror. ‘He kinda meant it, too. I get it. It makes sense. Keep me under wraps as long as possible… Hey, how far _can_ she teleport?’

‘Tele…? Oh! Um, the more power used, the further she could travel,’ Castiel explained. ‘Using her own power wouldn’t get her very far—ten miles at most, but she would be drained. If she were to perform a sacrifice, then she could travel further. One human life could potentially get her…one hundred miles or so? I’m not exactly sure…’

Dean felt a twinge of deceit come from Castiel. He raised his brow at Castiel’s reflection. ‘Uh-huh…’

‘Between ninety and 175. In my uh…experience.’

The guilt wafting off Castiel left Dean with a sour taste for pushing the subject. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled.

‘I haven’t always been…nice. I’ve had dark witches before,’ Castiel replied, shaking his head. ‘More than just Ruby. I wasn’t exactly averse to it, either. It took a powerful white witch to pull me back from that.’

‘So why’d you leave Ruby?’

‘Selfishness,’ Castiel answered truthfully. ‘The white witch…Hannah… She offered to be my witch. She was more powerful than Ruby, and Ruby had been particularly cruel during that time—doing more than just hitting me if I didn’t comply right away. To the point that it was no longer tolerable. It was around that time that she found out I had been keeping half the spells in my grimoire from her as well.’

Dean turned in his seat to face Castiel directly, a look of concern on his face. ‘Cas… Look, I know you guys get off on touching, but fuck! That’s straight up fucked up!’

Castiel shrugged. ‘Pain is still an experience. It may not be preferred, but it’s still enjoyable on some level. And…oh…’ His cheeks heated as Dean’s thoughts went to leather and light spanking. ‘Um…maybe later?’

Dean coughed and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. ‘Sorry… Mind just kinda…goes places. Kinda why I wasn’t too thrilled with the whole you in my head thing before.’

Castiel nodded, and Dean’s curiosity prodded him to continued. ‘Um… So I dismissed Ruby’s claim and went straight to Hannah. I had never felt such pure magic. It was… It was an experience like no other.’

‘And Ruby’s been after you ever since?’

Castiel sighed and gave a short nod as he leaned back. He had never been very particular about witches until he met Hannah. After that, he had preferred the purity of white magic. ‘It’s not just me she’s after. It’s the grimoire.’

‘Package deal. Nifty spellbook and a powerful familiar to go with.’ Dean scratched his head as he tried to get comfortable in his seat. ‘Guessin’ I have the good kinda magic?’ he said with a smirk.

Castiel laughed softly as a blush rose to his cheeks. ‘Y-yes… Pure, bright. Um…enthusiastic.’ He frowned as he felt a very soft caress of weak magic drift across him.

‘Cas?’

He shook his head and looked out the window. ‘We should use extra warding tonight,’ he said distractedly.

‘What? Whaddya mean?’ Dean followed Castiel’s gaze, but didn’t see anything. All he could feel from his familiar was a slight apprehension.

‘Ruby may be trying something new. I…don’t know how to explain it,’ he said quietly. ‘It feels like someone is searching for me, but that’s impossible.’

‘Can you tell if they’re getting closer?’ Dean asked as Castiel’s nervousness bled into him.

‘Not really… It’s as if… Like whoever is looking for me isn’t really there. I don’t like this, Dean,’ Castiel said, finishing in a whisper as he faced Dean.

Dean reached out and cupped Castiel’s cheek. ‘Hey, it’ll be okay,’ he said with a reassuring smile. ‘I’m on board with this magic crap, and we’re keeping a step ahead of Ruby. Not…really into the whole magic training thing, though,’ he added as Castiel’s thoughts went to practicing spells. ‘Can’t I just figure it out as I go? Just…give me some basics, and I’ll go from there. There’s a reason I dropped outta high school. I can’t…learn like that.’

Castiel sighed, but relented, letting his plans for Dean’s training go. ‘The very basics… And it _will_ be basic.’

‘Well, a step above, then. Just teach me to start on a hill, and I can figure the rest out,’ Dean said, trying to push images of learning to drive into Castiel’s head. Judging by Castiel’s frown, he hadn’t done a very good job. He shrugged and grinned. ‘I do better being thrown into the fire.’

‘Why would I thr—’ On reflex, Castiel took on his feline form and flattened his ears as Dean laughed. His pride wasn’t too hurt, and it was worth it for the unrelenting laughter and joy his confusion had caused.

.-.-.-.-.

‘Oh, God, they’re so…cute together,’ Gabriel complained, looking out the storefront window at the pair in the car. Dean had just touched Castiel’s face, and they were smiling softly at each other. He turned away with a huff. ‘How many more stops we got lined up?’

‘Just a couple more,’ Sam replied as he picked out a few postcards and magnets. ‘We’ll stop in Amarillo for the night.’

‘What’re we hitting on the way?’

‘An inn, some signs… Oh, and a water tower.’

Gabriel pulled a face. ‘That sounds…boring. When do we get to go digging? What’s the point of being an archaeologist if you’re not out digging up ancient civilizations?’ he complained. ‘I can give you directions to some places.’

Sam barely managed to keep himself from taking the bait. ‘Anthropology and archaeology go hand in hand,’ he said with a grin. ‘It’s as much about the people as the objects. More so, I should think.’

Gabriel sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘I expect a lot of fun tonight. If this is boring for me, I can only imagine what Dean’s feeling.’

Sam paused and glanced at the exit. ‘Yeah… I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to make it easier for him…’ He really did feel bad for Dean. He had his work to keep him busy and entertained, plus, he could leave the car whenever he wanted. Dean, on the other hand, was stuck. They really needed to come up with a better solution. He smiled down at Gabriel as the familiar came up beside him and sent waves of warmth and reassurance through him.

‘Maybe they can build off the coat idea,’ Gabriel suggested. ‘Find something that’ll let Dean fly under the radar a little better. Maybe a blanket! Ooh! Let’s roll him up in a rug!’ He gave Sam a manic grin, nodding happily at his idea.

‘I uh…think people would ask why we’re toting around a rolled up rug,’ Sam replied. ‘It might look suspicious, y’know?’

Gabriel sighed, but gave a relenting nod. ‘Fine. No bodies in rugs.’ He smiled as Sam leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

 


	21. Chapter 21

Dean stared at the ceiling from his position on the motel bed. He had taken to sprawling across it completely, and Castiel had settled on his chest as a cat. Sam and Gabriel were watching some documentary about boats, and Dean couldn’t bring himself to pay attention.

‘It’s too bad a tattoo won’t work,’ he said. ‘I mean, it’d make sense. It’d be on my skin, and I’m enclosed in my skin.’

‘Sure, but we’ll have to sew your eyes shut,’ Gabriel replied. ‘And it wouldn’t protect your hair. I guess we _could_ shave you down. I still like the Bubble Boy idea.’

Dean rolled his eyes and sat up, sending Castiel sliding down to his lap. He nudged the cat and felt a small wave of hopelessness. ‘Don’t be like that. We’ll figure something out. Eventually.’ He blinked as his lap was suddenly being straddled by Castiel’s human form and leaned back.

‘It’s more than that,’ Castiel admitted. ‘It’s not just Ruby. Something else is out there. Something new.’

‘How close is it?’ Gabriel asked.

Castiel shrugged. ‘I can’t tell, and that’s what worries me. I keep getting…flashes of power, but I can’t place it,’ he tried to explain. He sighed and leaned forward against Dean, wrapping his arms around him. ‘Ruby scares me, but I can deal with her, but this… I don’t know what to make of it, and I don’t know how to protect you from it.’

Dean rubbed his hand along Castiel’s back. ‘We’ll get it figured out,’ he promised. He looked to his brother and Gabriel, both staring back at him in uncertainty.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel was the first to awaken. He blinked in confusion as he slowly lifted his head and looked around the dark room. He could make out Sam and Gabriel’s forms on the other bed, and nothing looked out of place. He sat up further and felt Dean drift into wakefulness.

‘Wuz wrong?’ Dean slurred as he propped himself on his elbows.

‘I’m…not exactly sure,’ Castiel quietly replied. ‘Something…dark is looking for me. Me, specifically. That’s not… That’s not possible.’

Dean frowned as he threw off the sheets. ‘What do we do? Can it get in? I thought I got the wards right.’

Castiel nodded distractedly. He gasped and jumped as a loud knock rapped against the door. He cringed against Dean, suddenly doubting the warding on the door. He could feel Dean’s calm pressing against his own panic and swallowed as he tried to force himself calm down.

The knock sounded again, followed by a voice. ‘Castiel, I know you’re in there.’

Castiel’s brows furrowed, and he reached out with his senses. Behind the door was a normal human female, but another presence was overlaid on top. Cautiously, he stood.

‘Cas?’ Gabriel whispered from the other bed. ‘That feels like a possession. Can Ruby even _do_ that?’

Castiel glanced at Gabriel then back to the door, slowly shaking his head. ‘It would be impractical…’

‘C’mon, Clarence,’ the voice said impatiently.

Castiel quickly made his way to the door, ignoring the others’ protests as he unlocked it and threw it open. He stared down at the dark haired woman. Despite the unfamiliar face, he would always recognize that smirk. ‘Meg!’

He started to smile, but quickly dropped it in favor of giving Meg a disappointed glare. ‘You’re possessing that poor girl,’ he said disapprovingly.

Meg rolled her eyes as she shifted her weight. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m a horrible, evil witch.’ She looked past Castiel and caught Dean’s eye. ‘And there’s the upgrade himself. You know you’re really pissin’ off Ruby, right?’

Dean stood and shot Sam a confused look. ‘And just who are _you_ supposed to be?’ he asked.

‘She’s my last witch,’ Castiel replied. ‘Dean, this is Meg Masters. Meg, I’d like to introduce you to Dean Winchester,’ he said with a soft smile.

‘Wait… Wasn’t she hanged?’ Sam asked. ‘Shouldn’t she be dead?’

‘Like that would keep me down,’ Meg said smugly as she looked from Castiel to Dean and back. ‘Can’t feel a thing past this ward, but from what Ruby was saying, he’s a powerful one. Better than me?’

‘He’s catching on quickly,’ Castiel proudly replied. ‘And his power is…uh…’ He coughed and looked away, blushing lightly at the memory of Dean’s power coursing through him. ‘He’s very talented.’

‘I’m sure he _is_ very… _talented_ ,’ she said as she looked Dean over, letting her eyes linger on Dean’ crotch.

‘Right. Whatever. What do you want?’ Dean demanded as he joined Castiel by the open door.

‘I’m here to help,’ Meg replied.

Dean stared at he doubtfully. ‘And why would you wanna do that? You tryin’ to get to Cas, too?’

Meg’s smirk dropped, and she flicked her eyes back to Castiel. ‘I have my reasons,’ she slowly replied. ‘But I’m not looking to have him as my familiar again. He wouldn’t take me now, anyway. Possession’s not exactly light magic, y’know, and handling a familiar _while_ possessing someone? Can’t do it.’

‘You feel like a shadow of who you used to be,’ Castiel said.

Meg shrugged, looking to the ground. ‘Yeah… Ruby kinda put me through the ringer.’

‘You don’t happen to know who else she’s been talking to?’ Dean asked. ‘Anyone else she’s gonna try to send out to do her dirty work?’

‘Well, there’s Crowley.’

Castiel tensed and grabbed Dean’s arm. ‘She’s working with Crowley?’ he managed to ask.

Meg shook her head as her smirk returned. ‘He laughed in her face. If anything, he’ll come after you for his own reasons.’

Castiel let out a shaky breath and nodded. ‘Then we needn’t worry about him.’

‘You sure about that?’ Dean asked. ‘You seemed more worried about him than Ruby just now.’

Gabriel barked out a laugh. ‘That’s because he’s one of the darkest witches you’ll ever come across,’ he replied. ‘He’s powerful, to boot. I ran across him once, and he was gonna try to get me to be his familiar before he found out I draw from the light.’

‘And you’re ready to just disregard him?’ Dean asked, nudging Castiel. He couldn’t feel any worry coming from his familiar, but he wasn’t ready to trust that just yet. He wanted to be certain.

‘As long as Ruby has nothing to offer him, he poses no threat to me. I hold some of his spells in my grimoire, and I don’t believe he would risk losing access to… Oh, no.’

Dean frowned as Castiel’s nails dug into his arm. He could feel Castiel’s fear skyrocket, and he instinctively pulled him close. ‘Cas? What’s wrong?’

‘I know what Ruby wants,’ Castiel numbly replied. He glanced at Meg and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, but…the fewer people that know, the better.’

Meg nodded and leaned against the doorjamb. ‘I can make a guess that it’s one of his spells. Probably something that’d keep Ruby from fading,’ she said. She caught the hopeful looks from the men inside the motel room and shook her head. ‘Don’t get your hopes up, kids. Her personal power is fading. She can still nab it from a sacrifice, and she’s been picking off the homeless in the cities we’ve been in.’

‘Well, quickest way to recharge her power is straight up reincarnation,’ Gabriel said. ‘Maybe she should try it? Might make her a more pleasant person on her second go around.’

‘Without a way to ensure she retains her memories?’ Meg snorted as she rolled her eyes. ‘Why do you think _I’m_ hanging around like this?’ she said, gesturing to herself. ‘Cas refused to give me a good spell for that, so I’m left looking for my own way.’

‘You know my reasons,’ Castiel quietly replied. ‘And your current possession only supports my decision.’

She sighed as she pushed herself off the doorjamb. ‘Right. Now that that’s taken care of… I need a spell,’ she said.

Dean’s face screwed up in confusion. ‘A spell? You’re a witch, too, right?’

‘I can’t cast spells,’ she said evenly. ‘Look, I need to get off Ruby’s radar, and you guys need to get moving. I’d _appreciate_ it if you’d help me out before you head out.’ She gave Castiel a pleading stare, her tone turning desperate. ‘He _can_ cast something to keep me hidden, right? I don’t wanna be a kept spirit. Not to her. I’d take Crowley over her. At least he’s _sane_!’

‘Dean…should be able to,’ Castiel carefully replied. He tugged on Dean’s arm and nodded away from the door.

‘Give us a minute,’ Dean said as he shut the door on Meg.

‘Be quick about it!’

‘You’re giving me a lot of mixed signals, Cas,’ Dean said after threw up what he hoped was a spell to keep Meg from listening in.

Castiel shivered and nodded. ‘I feel like I owe her,’ he explained. ‘She warded her house before the townspeople came for her… She sacrificed her _life_ to keep me out of Ruby’s grasp, and… I owe her for that.’

Sam looked at the closed door then to Dean. ‘If I’m getting this right… Then how come there’s a spell to keep _her_ off the radar, and not Dean?’ he asked.

‘She’s a spirit. A ghost. A spectre,’ Gabriel replied. ‘Ghosts get tied down to where they died, but if you plan ahead, you can get tied to an object and use that to possess the living or just haunt around the area. Pretty nifty trick, but you lose all your power suppressing a living soul.’ He gave Sam a small shrug and an apologetic grin. ‘ _You_ can’t, though. Unless Dean hooked you up. I had a witch I toted around for a couple hundred years. She was tied to…and, oh, yeah. Talk about this later. Right.’ He waved at Castiel and nodded. ‘I’m done.’

Castiel sighed, shaking his head. ‘You can ward her talisman in a similar way to how you’ve done your coat,’ he said to Dean. ‘If you want, we can keep her afterwards. As a spirit, she can contact others that are still tied to this plane.’ He frowned as he felt a flare of jealousy coming from Dean and tossed his own confusion of the feeling back.

‘You’re saying that not only should we help her out, but…you wanna keep your dead ex-girlfriend around? Really?’ Dean asked with a huff.

‘She’s not my…’ Castiel narrowed his eyes at Dean as he tilted his head, trying to follow Dean’s thinking. ‘It’s true that she felt some form of affection for me, but nothing like we have. Nothing that was shared or pursued. Dean, she…she poses no threat to what we have.’

Dean sighed as he nodded. ‘Still don’t like the idea of keeping her around,’ he grumbled.

Gabriel slapped Dean on the back, grinning widely. ‘No problem! If you guys ever get it in your heads that you do want a kept spirit, we can go antiquing. The dead can be pretty useful,’ he said, Castiel nodding along in agreement.

‘I believe Meg would prefer to be on her own, and she would be more useful to us away and hidden,’ Castiel said. ‘While I don’t approve of her possessing another being…I do see the benefits.’ He sighed as he moved to one of the beds and slumped down. ‘Communing with the dead is a very old and practical means of communication, but with how society has progressed...’

‘Yeah, spirits have fallen to the wayside,’ Gabriel said. ‘They still make a damned good network of spies, though.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Dean admitted.

‘Really?’ Sam said with a laugh. ‘It’s, like, in _all_ the movies! You have a medium who talks to one ghost, and that ghost can reach out to all the others. The internet, but with…dead people.’ He made a face as he slowly finished, processing his own words.

‘So you’re suggesting going dial-up with Meg?’ Dean asked with a raised brow. He shrugged as he moved to the door. ‘Not too bad of a plan, if I’m understanding it right.’

‘Your understanding is correct,’ Castiel said as he watched Dean open the door.

Meg jumped as the door opened, and stared at Dean appraisingly. ‘You’re a lot better than I was expecting,’ she grudgingly admitted. ‘You just might make it out of this.’

‘Whatever. Get in here, and let’s see about that spell. It’s gonna cost you,’ Dean said as he stepped back to let Meg in.

Meg felt the wards on the room shift to allow her in. ‘Course. Keep track of Ruby, right? I can do that. She doesn’t exactly hide her movements. Not like you guys have been doing.’ She entered the room and immediately walked up to Castiel, pulling him into a tight hug. ‘I’m so happy for you,’ she whispered, letting every thought and feeling she had ever kept hidden from him sift along their fading connection. She pulled away, smirking at the bewildered look on Castiel’s face.

‘I…I never knew,’ he said quietly.

‘Of course not! You were such a stick-in-the-mud. And way too formal,’ she replied. ‘Besides, a fifty year old woman getting it on with a young-looking thing like you? Probably woulda been hanged even sooner.’ She laughed as she shook her head. ‘Nowadays, though… I would totally tap that. Be a… What do they call ‘em? Cougars?’

Dean stifled a snigger at the embarrassment that dripped off Castiel. He lightly patted Castiel’s shoulder and looked to Sam. ‘Right. So we get Meg hooked up, and then we head out. How do I go about doing this?’

‘Easiest way? Knock me out then perform the spell on this,’ Meg said as she sat on the bed and lifted her talisman. ‘Whack me on the head or zap me, doesn’t make any difference to me.’

Gabriel reached over as he walked by and tapped her on the back of the head, and she fell backward, unconscious. ‘Sorry, kiddo, but you’re already possessing that poor girl. No need to go about damaging the goods.’

‘I’m not damaging anything.’

Sam and Dean spun around to face a young, blonde woman with short cropped hair. She was barefoot and wore a plain shift. Their eyes were automatically drawn to the dark bruises marring her neck. Both almost jumped when her hand reached up to her neck.

‘If you plan on becoming a ghost, keep in mind how you die. I’m lucky burning at the stake went out of style,’ she said bitterly. ‘Used to hate what they did to my hair, but I guess it’s en vogue, now.’

‘You don’t…look that old,’ Sam said, finding his voice. He had thought ghosts were supposed to be transparent, at the very least. Meg looked pretty solid. ‘You’re supposed to be in your seventies.’

‘One of the _perks_ of being dead. _And_ , I was a hundred and five,’ Meg proudly replied. She placed a hand on her hip and raised an expectant brow. She made a disgusted sound as Dean ran his hand through her shoulder. ‘Really?’

‘You look…’ Dean trailed off, shaking his head. It wasn’t just that he could see Meg. He was aware of her presence. It was similar to how he could feel Castiel and even the other witches back at the Roadhouse. ‘You _feel_ real.’

‘I _am_ real,’ she testily replied. ‘Look, Cas can explain all the finer workings of common spirits versus witch spirits to you later. But right now? Get to the witchcraft! Ruby’s gonna be pissed that I escaped. She’s pissed off and desperate. I wanna be as far from you as possible.’

Dean huffed in annoyance as he turned away and looked down at the young woman on the bed. ‘So what do I do?’

‘He’s been your witch for _how_ long?’ Meg said disbelievingly, taking in Castiel’s sulking form. ‘I get not being raised a witch, but this is simple spellwork!’

‘He catches on very quickly,’ Castiel said defensively as he took Meg’s talisman and handed it to Dean. ‘Just hold it in your hands and make it invisible.’

‘I’m guessing you don’t mean literally… So, uh, invisible-invisible or just camouflaged?’ Dean asked as he held it in one and and closed the other on top.

‘Huh. He _is_ a natural,’ Meg said, impressed. ‘Camouflage would work best…if you can manage it. Like a chameleon, so I can control it.’

Over the course of two hours, Dean had finally managed to get the spell for Meg’s talisman right. Meg’s constant goading had Dean snapping back every time she opened her mouth. When Meg finally declared the spell was right, Dean stood and stumbled as his vision blacked out for a moment.

‘Careful,’ Castiel murmured as he steadied Dean, his hand lightly stroking Dean’s chest. ‘You’re not accustomed to constant spellcasting yet.’

Dean rubbed at his eyes and dropped the talisman on the unconscious girl’s stomach. ‘That sucked.’ He looked around the room, and saw that the others had already packed up. At least that was one less thing he had to worry about. He hoped he hadn’t wasted too much time on the spell.

‘We should be fine,’ Castiel said, picking out Dean’s thoughts. ‘We’ll just need to get moving right away.’ He reluctantly moved his hand away from Dean’s chest and smiled when Dean reached up to hold it in place.

‘Sam, can you take the first leg?’ Dean asked. He frowned as he watched Meg move past him and reach out to her talismen. Her fingers slowly wrinkled as she replaced her talisman about the girl’s neck. ‘That’s creepy.’

Meg rolled her eyes at him before vanishing. The girl sat up and rubbed her eyes, blinking slowly. ‘Being a poltergeist takes a little more energy than just standing around,’ Meg said as she stretched her neck, letting out a loud pop that had her freezing for a moment, eyes wide. She let out a shaky breath as she stood up, forcing a grin. ‘If you want creepy, then anything reminding you of how you died… Now, _that’s_ creepy.’

‘So… You are gonna keep in touch, right?’ Sam asked, and she nodded. ‘Do you need us to drop you off anywhere?’

‘If I happen across anything useful for you guys, then I’ll let you know. No phone calls. I’ll send you a spook. I’ll even keep an eye on Ruby from a distance, but uh… No offence, boys, but I don’t wanna be anywhere near you. I’m gonna find myself a new haunt and make myself scarce for a while,’ she replied. She patted Castiel on the cheek, smiling softly. ‘I hereby fully dismiss you, Castiel. Have a good life, okay? Stay safe. Make some sausages. Move some furniture,’ she said with a wink before letting her eyes dart to Dean and back.

Castiel blushed brightly and nodded. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered as he pulled her into a tight hug.

Meg pushed him away with a bitter laugh. ‘Whatever.’ She waved dismissively as she left, letting the door close quietly behind her.

‘So…’ Dean drawled, breaking the silence. ‘Is this gonna be a regular thing?’

Castiel looked at Dean in confusion, uncertain what his witch was thinking of. He prodded Dean to elaborate.

‘Your, uh…exes?’ Dean said with a slight smirk. He stifled a laugh at the indignified huff Castiel gave him. ‘Sorry. You know what I mean, right? Ruby, Meg… That Crowley guy? How many more witches out there had you as a familiar and are still around?’

‘Oh. Enough,’ Castiel said quietly.

‘At least six that _I_ know of,’ Gabriel added.

‘Are they all as bad as Ruby, or more like Meg?’ Sam asked. He hoped for more like Meg. Haunted necklaces seemed a lot less threatening than a fully functional witch.

Castiel breathed slowly as he mentally took stock of his past witches. ‘Hannah placed herself in a doll to watch over her family. Tessa is bound to a brooch. A handful of others in similar situations, or they may have been banished or passed on by now. There are a few that gave up their magic for something similar to immortality, so they aren’t a threat. All in all, Ruby and Crowley, and whomever else they may have spoken to about me and the grimoire, are the only _real_ threat. The others would just be nuisances.’

‘Great,’ Dean muttered. He could follow Castiel’s impressions of each potential threat, and Ruby seemed to be the only one he was truly worried about.


	22. Chapter 22

Dean walked along the empty parking lot of the motel they were staying the night at. It had been three days since they’d parted ways with Meg, and, so far, everything had been quiet. There had been a phone call from Meg earlier that morning full of warning that Ruby was using sacrifices to up her power for farther travel. She also had a new spirit under her thumb, but Meg had yet to find more information.

He grunted in annoyance as he opened the door to their room and reached over to flick on the lights. He blinked at the brightness and jumped as the door slammed shut behind him, echoing throughout the room.

Dean stilled as his heart raced. This wasn’t right. He was supposed to be in a cheaply decorated motel room with the wallpaper peeling in the corners, not some boiler room from a  _ Nightmare on Elm Street _ movie.

Behind him, he felt a presence manifest, and he slowly turned around.

‘You’re a tough man to find,’ said a thin and aging man. He smiled at Dean and flicked his wrist, sending Dean flying backwards to slam against the wall.

The wind was knocked from Dean, and he coughed as his arms and legs were suddenly snatched and pulled into place by perforated metal strips, arms wide and legs apart. He gasped for breath and struggled against the metal binds, feeling them dig into his wrists. For a split second, the room blinked out, and he saw a normal ceiling before him.

A hand sharply struck his face, forcing him back into the pipe-lined room. He blinked in confusion as he felt Castiel’s presence just on the edge of his senses, but unobtainable. ‘What the fuck…’

‘Now, now, Dean. I can’t have you leaving so soon. Not when we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other better.’

Dean looked at the man and narrowed his eyes. Was this one of Ruby’s tricks?

‘Not quite,’ the man replied to Dean’s unvoiced question. He nodded his head in greeting. ‘Alistair.’

Dean tried to mold his magic around the metal holding him in place, but nothing happened. He couldn’t feel his magic, and when he thought he had it, it slipped through his grasp.

Alistair patted Dean’s cheek and laughed. ‘Don’t bother, little witchling. You might have the power, but you don’t have the control, and no one can find you here.’

‘What the fuck do you want?’ Dean spat.

‘I was hired to give you a few premonitions. Eventually take you out of the picture, but now? Now, I think I’ll be taking that grimoire for myself. Now that I know what Ruby’s  _ really _ after.’

Castiel had refused to tell Dean exactly what Ruby wanted, but he had a feeling it had something to do with regaining her fading power. ‘So, what? You’re gonna try to nab Crowley’s spells out from under her nose?’ he asked as he tried reaching out for his magic and familiar again, but they evaded his grasp. He licked his lips and tried visualizing casting out a net. For a brief moment, he felt something and there was a little more give to the bindings holding him fast.

Alistair leaned in close, looking over Dean in fascination. ‘You  _ are _ a tricky one. No wonder he chose you,’ he said before drawing back and waving a hand, tightening the makeshift manacles even more.

Metal cut into Dean’s skin, and he shouted in agony as his blood began to run down his arms. How did he end up in this situation? How did Alistair get into the motel room? How would he have gotten past the wards? Past Castiel and Gabriel? Even asleep, Castiel should have sensed something was wrong.

‘This isn’t real,’ he said in realization. ‘I’m dreaming.’

‘I assure you, Dean, it’s real enough,’ Alistair countered, quickly swiping his hand upward.

A deep slice made its way up Dean’s side. His scream was followed by a painful groan as the cut began to burn. Again, he desperately reached for his magic, but still he came back empty handed. He gasped and grunted as another cut was made across his chest and arms. His net hadn’t work, but there had been  _ something _ . Maybe he was thinking too big.

His train of thought was cut of as a stab went through him, and he began to cough up blood. He kept repeating to himself that it wasn’t real. He tried to think of water running through a filter, and he was rewarded with another slip of the restraints before Alistair sliced into him again, throwing him off balance.

‘You are so  _ clever _ !’ Alistair complimented. ‘It’s a crying shame you’re in my way. You could have been something special.’

‘Hey!’

Alistair turned in surprise, and was greeted by a fist slamming into his nose. He staggered back, clutching his face, and stared up at the tall figure before him. ‘And what did you sacrifice to get yourself in here?’ he bit out.

Sam strode forward, fully intent on beating Alistair to a pulp, but the man vanished. He sighed and turned to Dean, grimacing at his bloodied brother. ‘Dean, this isn’t real. I need you to wake up,’ he said as he lightly touched Dean’s cheek.

Dean spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Sam. ‘No shit, Sherlock! Get me the fuck down from here.’ He huffed as Sam tugged uselessly at the metal around his wrists.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ Sam admitted as he took a step back to get a better look at what he was dealing with. ‘Lemme see if I can find a crowbar.’

Annoyed, Dean reached out for his magic again. It slipped through his fingers again. His mind likened the feeling to water and sand. He kept sticking his hand in and coming away with damp sand. He let out a pained snort. His magic was the  _ water _ , and everything else was what was keeping it from him. He was going about it all wrong.

This time, he imagined letting the water run through a filter and into a pitcher. He gasped as he fell to the floor and Sam caught him. ‘What the fuck was that,’ he groaned as he tried to stand.

‘Dean, I need you to wake up,’ Sam insisted, giving Dean a light shake.

Dean rolled his eyes and slumped to the floor, glancing around as the room morphed into a bordello staffed by skimpy nurses. ‘Yeah… Don’t need you in the Doctor Sexy dream,’ he said quickly. ‘Uh…’ He slapped himself, hard, and came awake with a gasp.

He found himself back in his bed in the motel room, his head resting on Castiel's lap. He reached up to catch Castiel's hand, but froze when he saw small lines of blood lining his wrists.

Swallowing, he moved his hand to his side where Alistair had cut into him and felt a sticky wetness seeping through his shirt. ‘Oh, fuck,’ he groaned.

‘It’s superficial,’ Castiel said quietly as he licked his thumb and lightly rubbed it across Dean’s forehead. He then placed his hands on either side of Dean’s head and closed his eyes.

‘So he’s gonna be okay?’ Sam asked.

Dean looked over as Castiel nodded and saw Sam sitting up on the other bed, Gabriel latched on his arm. His brother had a shakily drawn sigil on his forehead, and he was tightly grasping what looked to be the battery from his laptop. ‘What the fuck  _ was _ that?’ Dean asked, relaxing into Castiel’s hold.

‘A witch. Dark, powerful… If Sam hadn’t… Dean, he could have hurt you. He could have  _ killed _ you. Or  _ worse! _ ’ Castiel said as his fingers twitched.

‘I’m not even safe in my  _ dreams _ ?!’ Dean felt a burst of magic that was neither his nor Castiel’s. ‘What the…’ He tried to sit up, but the magic settled over him, holding him in place.

‘Shh… I’m tracing his magic,’ Castiel said, and the magic holding Dean in place eased.

Dean’s eyes widened as he realized Castiel was using his witch’s power to track Alistair. ‘Cas, should you be doing that?’ he asked carefully, wondering what it would take to tip off Ruby to their presence.

‘He doesn’t really have a choice,’ Gabriel replied. He loosened his grip on Sam’s arm and looked between Dean and Castiel with a wary gaze.

Castiel grunted in frustration. ‘He’s not close, but I could…’

Dean frowned as Castiel’s hands shifted to hover over his eyes. The magic he felt running through him took on a dark tint, and Dean licked his lips as he tried to press into Castiel’s thoughts. He bolted upright and threw up his hand, sending what he hoped was just enough magic to distract his familiar from the spell in progress.

Castiel breathed in sharply and bent forward, moaning softly into the blanket. He blinked rapidly as the feeling of Dean's raw magic subsided and sat up to stare at him in confusion.

‘No!’ Dean shouted as he got off the bed and stood, clutching his side. ‘You don’t get to be all high and mighty about not going dark and go off and do it yourself!’

‘It’s better than the alternative!’ Castiel argued. He flinched as Dean cut him off from his mind and magic. ‘I'm sorry! I'm beginning to feel desperate!’

He stared at Dean pleadingly. ‘I could have lost you,’ he whispered.

Dean crossed his arms and looked away. ‘Fine. I get it. But don't you dare take things into your own hands like that again.’ He waited for Castiel to nod before reestablishing their connection. He sat beside Castiel and wrapped his arm around his familiar’s shoulders, holding him close.

He tried to make himself feel better, like he had hope for their situation, but he was failing miserably. He looked up at Sam helplessly as Castiel leaned against him. ‘I don't know what to do. Who else is Ruby gonna send after us? How many witches for hire  _ are _ there?’

‘Technically, you're all for hire,’ Gabriel replied. ‘But dark witches? Too much risk for being stabbed in the back.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Dean grumbled. ‘He said Ruby hired him, but he changed his mind. Now,  _ he _ wants the damned book.’ He felt Castiel go stiff beside him, and he gave him a little squeeze. ‘Cas?’

Castiel quickly stood and strode to the bathroom. He paused at the door and sighed heavily, turning back to face the others. ‘If what you say is true, then there may be a way to turn Ruby and Alistair on each other,’ he said.

‘How?’

‘We tell Ruby what Alistair did,’ he said, as if it was the obvious solution.

Dean's jaw dropped. ‘Why the fuck would you do that?! You'll be telling her she's on the right track to take me out!’

‘She wants the grimoire,’ Castiel calmly replied. ‘To her, you're easier to get out of the way than a properly trained witch. Alistair would be more difficult for her to go against. And if she doesn’t time it right…if…if you die, and she’s not there to sway me, I’ll just go into hiding.’

‘He has a point,’ Gabriel chimed in. ‘If we can get these two after each other’s throats, then we’ll get time, one less witch, and a the survivor hurtin’ for a while. The only other thing that might get the same results would be to have Cas stand in the middle of wrestling ring and call for a death match. Winner takes all. Not exactly a bad idea.’

‘It's a  _ very _ bad idea,’ Sam said. ‘We don't need to advertise Cas and Dean and that…grimoire.’

Dean shook his head and slouched forward, resting his elbows on his knees. ‘Do you really think telling Ruby would work?’

‘There  _ is _ small a possibility of it pushing her to desperation,’ Castiel replied. ‘Either way, we need to be even more careful from here on out.’

‘Yeah? And how much more careful  _ can _ we be?!’ Dean shouted in exasperation, throwing his hands up. ‘I’m stuck driving my own prison, Cas! You  _ know _ what this is doing to me.’

Castiel returned to Dean’s side and knelt before him, bowing his head. ‘I know this is hard, and I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this,’ he said quietly. ‘I never should have appeared to you…’

Dean leaned forward and rested his forehead atop Castiel’s head and breathed deeply. ‘Maybe, but unless you know how to change the past, worrying about it ain’t gonna do us a whole lotta good. You wanna tell Ruby her new lackey’s turned traitor, go right ahead. Might buy Meg some time to find us something we could use.’

Castiel nodded solemnly before standing and making his way back to the bathroom, the others following and gathering around the open door. He took a deep breath and slammed the side of his fist into the mirror. Cracks spiderwebbed away from his hand, flashing brightly as the pieces between them cycled through various views before focussing on one. He pulled his hand away, and the mirror solidified, piece by piece, the image of a bare and dusty room taking over.

Sam and Dean looked on in wonder as Castiel demanded Ruby’s presence.

Ruby sauntered into view, grinning. She caught sight of Dean and waggled her fingers. ‘How’ve you been, Dean?’ she drawled.

Castiel moved to block her view of Dean and glowered. ‘You need to hire better witches.’

‘Dead?  _ Again _ ?’ Ruby said in surprise. She looked to the side and raised a brow before looking back. ‘No… You wouldn’t be able to trick him. Not Alistair.’

‘No, he’s alive,’ Castiel admitted. ‘And he knows what you want.’

Ruby blinked slowly before laughing. ‘Of course he knows!’ she said gleefully. ‘We’re going to share. I get you and the grimoire, and he gains access to whatever spells he wants. Cooperation, my dear Castiel. Something you should look into.’

Castiel narrowed his eyes at her, and she gasped lightly.

‘That won’t do you any good,’ she hissed before her hand slapped against the mirror, turning it black.

Slowly, the mirror faded back into its reflective state.

Castiel met Dean’s gaze in the mirror. ‘She’s about twenty miles ahead of us,’ he said.

‘And now,  _ she _ knows exactly where  _ we _ are,’ Dean pointed out.

Castiel nodded as he turned to face Dean, giving him a small smile. ‘But I think we just bought ourselves some time.’

‘How do you figure that?’ Sam asked. ‘Nothing happened like you thought it would. If anything, we just  _ lost _ time!’

‘She wasn’t expecting Alistair to betray her. I was her familiar long enough to be able to read her,’ Castiel explained. ‘She’s scared. We can use that.’

‘How’s she run, Cas?’ Gabriel asked. ‘Cautious or reckless? Will she go for Alistair or Dean first?’

‘Alistair. I’m certain. She won’t risk the book.’

Dean could feel Castiel’s certainty, but he didn’t share it. ‘So I can’t kill her… Can I just… I dunno. Bind her magic or something? Is that a thing? They had it in a movie.’

‘No,’ Gabriel firmly said. ‘Cas, don’t ever watch that movie. It starts off all fun and games, but everyone turns dark. Binding a witch’s magic is sick and wrong. Killing them would be a mercy.’

Dean huffed in irritation, making his way back to his bed and falling into it face first. What was the point of magic if he couldn’t even use it to defend himself? The bed beside him sunk, and Castiel rubbed his shoulder. ‘I hate this,’ he mumbled.

‘I know. We’ll think of something, or…’

Dean shook his head, catching Castiel’s line of thought. ‘Don’t wanna be like them. Don’t wanna risk it.’

‘ _ It’s not so bad _ ,’ Castiel’s voice echoed through his head. ‘ _ You can always turn back. _ ’

Dean thought of the dream Sam had stumbled upon. ‘Won’t do that to you,’ he whispered.


End file.
